Lot 26: Thomas Hickey (1741-1824) PORTRAIT OF MARY WATHEN BY A COLUMN IN A WOODED LANDSCAPE

Thomas Hickey (1741-1824)
PORTRAIT OF MARY WATHEN BY A COLUMN IN A WOODED LANDSCAPE
oil on canvas
with hand-written labels relating to the sitter on reverse
h:29.25  w:25 in.

Provenance:
By family descent to Sir Wathen Arthur Waller;
Christie's, 12 December 1947, lot 150 (100gns to Blakeley);
Christie's, 15 November 1991, lot 28;
Private collection

Thomas Hickey studied at the drawing schools of the Dublin Society and between 1753 and 1756 won several prizes for his work. He was the son of a confectioner in Capel Street. Following some years in Italy furthering his studies he returned to Dublin where he lived in Little Britain Street in 1767. He exhibited for three consecutive years from 1768 with the Society of Artists in William Street but a lack of patronage forced him to relocate to London. There he showed with the Royal Academy in 1772, 1775 and 1792 and later worked for a time in Bath. He travelled to India in the 1780s. One of Hickey's best known works, in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland, was painted during this period, An Indian Lady, perhaps 'Jemdanee', Bibi of William Hickey, 1787. Hickey was living in Cavendish Square, London in 1792 and, that same year, became attached to Lord Macartney's mission to China as "portrait painter".

The present work was painted on return from his excursion to the Far East. The subject is Mary Wathen; daughter of Samuel Wathen. In 1766 she married Henry Christopher Wise of the Priory, Warwick; they had two sons - Matthew, who was High Sheriff of Warwickshire, and Henry who took Holy Orders. Her husband's grandfather Henry Wise (1653-1738) was a celebrated horticulturalist. He was Deputy Ranger of Hyde Park and Superintendent of the Royal Gardens at Hampton Court. Under Queen Anne, Wise was given overall control of the Royal Gardens, a post which was upheld under King George I.