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| Title | Portrait of Peter Du Cane (1741 - 1823) | |
| Collection | Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery | |
| Artist | Maron, Anton von (Austrian painter, 1733-1808) Previously attributed to Batoni, Pompeo (Italian painter and draftsman, 1708-1787) |
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| Date | 1763 (dated) | |
| Signed | yes | |
| Description | Peter du Cane (1741-1823), from Braxted Park, Essex, visited Rome in 1763, and like many British tourists commissioned a portrait from a painter in the city. Du Cane surrounded by objects which demonstrate his culture and learning, a marble bust, guidebooks, a map of Italy and the Colosseum in the background. He is wearing formal, fashionable dress. It is likely that Du Cane had this suit made for him whilst in Italy. Red was a popular colour in Italian male dress of this period, and very similar red suits with gold trimming appear in other Grand Tour portraits. Maron's painting is similar in composition to a full length portrait by Pompeo Batoni in the Metropolitan Museum, New York. However, in this work, Maron also shows the influence of Mengs who was his teacher and brother-in-law. A. M. Clark considers that this may represent a change in style for Maron in response to pictures that Mengs sent to Rome in 1769. However, this would contradict the date of 1763, confirmed by du Cane's visit. |
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| Current Accession Number | 1951P128 | |
| Former Accession Number | P.128´51 | |
| Inscription | front lr 'Ant: Marron Austr Vienn fectit Romae 176[3]' | |
| Subject | portrait (du Cane, Peter) | |
| Measurements | 238.5 x 167 cm.0 cm (estimate) | |
| Material | oil on canvas | |
| Acquisition Details | Given by F. F. Madan 1951. | |
| Provenance | Du Cane, Braxted Park, Essex; Family descent; Robinson & Foster sale, 30 April 1942, lot 187 as Pompeo Batoni, bought by Francis F. Madan. | |
| Principal Exhibitions | German Art 1400-1800, Manchester Art Gallery, 1961, cat. no. 194; Angelica Kauffmann and her Times, Landes Museum 1968. | |
| Publications | Ford, B., 'The Grand Tour', Apollo, December 1981, p. 395; Catalogue of Paintings in Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery, 1960; Foreign Paintings in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, A Summary Catalogue, 1983, no. 92. | |
| Notes | Braxted Park, home of Du Canes. Unknown date, Braxted Park became property of Sir William Whitehead Boulton. Full length portrait by Pompeo Batoni in Metropolitan Museum, New York is identical or closely similar. | |
| Rights Owner | Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery | |
| Author | Dr Patricia Smyth | |