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Dimensions: measurements note 90 by 79 cm., 35 1/2 by 31 in.
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Provenance: commissioned from the artist by Richard Wesley, later Wellesley, 2nd Earl of Mornington, first and last Marquess of Wellesley (1760-1842);
by descent to Colonel R. C Wellesley (1879-1914) the second son of Arthur Charles Wellesley, 4υth Duke of Wellington (1849-1934);
by descent until sold, Christie's London, 10th June 2003, Lot 41, as Attributed to Harlow, (bt. by the present owner)
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Notes: THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN
The sitter was the second son of Richard Wesley, later Wellesley, 2υnd Earl of Mornington, first and last Marquess of Wellesley of Norragh and Baron Wellesley of Wellesley and his first wife Hyacinthe Gabrielle (d. 1816) only daughter of Pierre Roland of Paris. His father spent the majority of his career in India as Governor of Madras, Governor of Bengal and lastly Commander in Chief in India during which time he successfully took Seringapatam and overthrew the Mysore Empire under Tippu Sultan. In 1794, following the birth of three boys, Richard, Gerald and Henry and a girl, also named Hyacinthe, his father and mother were married. Clearly the fact that their father had had not married their mother earlier was a great disappointment to the children. Gerald recalled that "... she was introduced by her parents upon the stage in France, where our father saw and became smitten with her, which led to his forming an acquaintance with her, under the circumstances it is believed of deception towards her not much to the honour of either him or her parents."[1] Gerald, like his elder brother Richard, was educated at Mr Robert's School, Mitcham and then from 1804 at Eton, where he excelled. Both Gerald and his brother sat to Lawrence during their final year at Eton and Gerald's portrait is offered for sale here. Lawrence's correspondence to his friend Joseph Farington reveals the artist's frustration with Lord Wellesley's reluctance to pay for his son's portraits. Writing in January 1808 Lawrence complained: "Mr Wellesley the younger brother [Gerald] has just left me. I wrote on Tuesday to Lord Wellesley requesting the favor of his draft and informing him of my rule [that Lawrence always asked for half payment before beginning a picture]. He as yet sends no answer! I was a fool for breaking through my custom and will never again be guilty of the like folly. He is boundless in his licentious extravagance..." [2] Despite his misgivings, Lawrence has superbly captured the strength of character and noble pedigree of Gerald as a confident young man on the cusp of adulthood. The finesse of the fluid brushstrokes so distinctive of Lawrence's manner of painting at the peek of his career, immediately aligns this powerful portrait with Lawrence's other portraits of the Wellesley dynasty, for example, the portraits of his father (Fig.1), his uncle and his brother (Eton College, Fig.2).
During Gerald's final years at Eton his father returned from India and clearly inspired his second son to follow in his footsteps. After leaving Eton he spent a few months training at Haileybury, and Captain Benjamin Syndenham (who had earlier been the Marquess' devoted A.D.C.) helped him to prepare for the journey east. Gerald's departure for India coincided with the Wellesley's purchase of Apsley House.[2] However, the move was marred by the Marquess' first suggestion of a legal separation from his wife, Hyacinthe. His parents' unhappiness and the realistion that a career in India would result in a long departure from his family clearly affected Gerald who movingly wrote, 'partir, c'est mourir un peu.' Evidently a talented and ambitious young man, Gerald soon established himself in India. By 1817 he was in Nepal as Assistant to the Resident, Edward Gardiner (following the Gurkha War of 1815, the Kingdom of Nepal had been brought under British influence). His extensive correspondence with his family and especially his elder brother Richard are of great interest, as regards both Indian history and family affairs. In his letters Gerald's character evolves as a son, tenderly devoted to his family whilst also being confident of his own abilities and ambitious about his career. He often wrote giving advice to his elder brother Richard on his political career, his personal relationships and his financial circumstances. In November 1816 Hyacinthe his mother died, but Gerald was not to learn about her death until April 1817 when he saw it announced in a newspaper. Both brothers each received a legacy of £2000 from their mother, but Gerald also clearly inherited a more generous legacy which was her careful disposition. During his time in India he was quietly amassing a fortune which would amount to £30,000 by the time he was forty. By 1821 at the age of only thirty one Gerald succeeded Sir John Malcolm in the Malwa Residency, and was promoted to Resident of Malwa (Indore). The success of these promotions led Gerald to contemplate a return home. By 1831 he wrote to his brother Richard announcing his return, only to hear that his elder brother had recently died following a prolongued illness. Gerald immediately wrote tenderly to his widowed sister-in-law, "My heart filled at once with pity and increased affection for him. He has always been the man in the world to whome I have felt the strongest attachment... Little did I imagine we should never see each other again." Gerald planned to return via the Middle East and Europe. Whilst attempting to complete the journey home, he collapsed in Belgrade and struggled to reach Paris. His father was deeply shocked at the news and wrote hoping that his son had recovered. By April 1833 Gerald had arrived in England and went straight to Tunbridge Wells for the air. He died on the 22υnd July 1833 at his younger brother Henry's pretty vicarage at Flitton and was buried in the Church of St. John Baptist opposite the house on the 28υth July. In his will Gerald mentions for the first time an Indian mistress and three children by her. He settled annuities on his own children and left one half of the rest to Richard's children, a quarter to Henry, and a quarter to his sister Hyacinthe. This portrait descended in the Wellesley family to Colonel R. C Wellesley (1879-1914) the second son of Arthur Charles Wellesley, 4υth Duke of Wellington (1849-1934) and then by further descent until sold by the family five years ago. [1] The family papers of Field Marshal Sir Michael Carver, 1-5.
[2] Papers of Sir Thomas Lawrence, January 1808, Royal Academy, LAW/1/178
