Lot 97: John James Masquerier, R.A. Chelsea 1778 - 1855 Brighton , Self Portrait, Age 15 oil on canvas

three quarters length, standing at a desk in front of an arcitectural background, wearing a dark coat, breeches and a white vest, holding a crayon in his right hand oil on canvas

measurements 44 1/2 by 34 1/2 in. alternate measurements 103 by 87.6 cm.

London, Royal Academy, 1795
Manchester, "Art Treasures" Exhibition, 1857
London, National Portrait Exhibition, 1868

E. Benezit, Dictionnaire des paintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs, vol. 7, Paris, 1976, p. 240.

Baroness Burdett-Coutts (1814-1906), 1 Stratton Street and Holly Lodge, Highgate, bears her inventory no. on the reverse: 26
Her husband The Rt. Hon. W. Burdett-Coutts, M.P., ([deceased] Sale, London, Christie's, May 4, 1922, lot 49)

PROPERTY OF A NEW YORK GENTLEMAN
John James Masquerier was a prolific portrait painter, whose oeuvre includes at least 400 portraits painted over the course of twenty-eight years. Born in England to French parents, Masquerier received his early training in France under the tutelage of both François Vincent and Vernet. He fled France during the Reign of Terror and settled in London where, in 1796, he became a student and assistant of John Hoppner, and his style was influenced by the work of Raeburn and Sir Thomas Lawrence. Said to have been painted when the artist was only fourteen or fifteen years old, this self-portrait is quite an ambitious work for such a young painter. Masquerier has chosen to depict himself at work, standing confidently in front of his desk, holding his crayon in his hand. This calls to mind the great tradition of "artist in his studio" self portraits by masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer. The date of 1795 that is inscribed on the reverse does call the age of the artist into question, as he would have been seventeen, not fifteen at the time. Nonetheless, the artist's youthful, boyish face belies the accomplishment of the finished work, which he presented much later in his life as a gift to Baroness Burdett-Coutts, one of his most important patrons. Indeed, the work still bears her inventory number on the back. Baroness Burdett-Coutts was the grand daughter and heiress of Thomas Coutts, the famous 18th century banker. Together they amassed an impressive collection of manuscripts, porcelain, and Old Master Paintings. After the death of her husband William Burdett-Coutts in 1921, the collection was sold at auction by Christie's. In addition to the present work, seven other paintings by Masquerier were featured in the sale, including two portraits of the Baroness.