Lot 47: John Sanders junior (British, 1750-1825)

A double-sided pair of portraits of a Gentleman and Lady, previously called Sir Belford Hinton Wilson K.C.B. (1804-58) and his wife Catherine (née Randolph): he, wearing blue coat, peach-coloured waistcoat and white cravat, his hair powdered and worn en queue; she, wearing blue dress with pointed white collar, lace underslip and scarf, a blue bandeau in her hair
both signed on obverse and dated JSanders/ 1790, gold frame, he within plaited hair belt and outer border of blue enamel set with gold-mounted split pearls; she within gold-mounted plaited hair border and outer border set with split pearls, the whole within later gilt-metal brooch clasp frame with blue enamel crossed ribbons, the reverse engraved Sir Belford Hinton Wilson K.C.B. & of his Wife Catherine Randolph. Father & Mother of General Sir Robert Wilson & Grand Father & Mother of [sic]
Oval, 45mm. (1 3/4ins.) high (2)

D. Foskett; A Dictionary of British Miniature Painters, 1972, vol I, p.490, ill. vol II, pl.316, no.792.

Christie's, 21 November 1967, lot 24

The later frame describes the sitters as Sir Belford Hinton Wilson, friend and supporter of the Peruvian liberator Simón Bolívar. However, as he was not born until 1804 (making him an impossible candidate for a portrait dated 1790), it would appear that the later frame refers to a different miniature.