Possibly Lionel Sackville, 1^st Duke of Dorset (1688-1755);
Lt.-Colonel R. Cooper;
his sale, London, Christie's, 26th March 1928, lot 80 (bt. by Leggatt);
with Spink, London;
bt. by Bruce Ingram;
with Spink, London;
bt. by Viscount Lee, 1928;
Samuel Courtauld:
bt. by R. A. Butler, 1947 and by descent

Birmingham, City Museum and Art Gallery, Richard Wilson and his Circle,1948-49, no. 8;
London, Tate Gallery, Richard Wilson and his Circle, 1949, no. 7

W. G. Constable, Richard Wilson, London 1953, p. 177

ENGRAVED:
by W Miller, 8th April 1747

The following condition report has been provided by Hamish Dewar, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. Structural Condition The canvas has an old lining which was clearly applied many years ago and is still ensuring an even and stable structural support. There is what would appear to be an artist's extention which runs vertically down the canvas and is approximatley 17 cm in from the right vertical framing edge. Paint Surface The paint surface has a very discoloured varnish layer and cleaning would undoubtedly result in a considerable colour change. A number of retouchings are visible in natural light, having been applied in oil paint and subsequently discoloured. These are scattered across the sky and in the lower left of the composition in the dark pigments, and along the vertical join mentioned above. Inspection under ultra-violet light shows these and other retouchings, which are quite extensive but also clearly very excessive and should they be removed I would be confident that many would be found to be at least partially unnecessary and could be considerably reduced. The most significant of these retouchings are in the buildings in the foreground, the contours of which have been highlighted and strengthened. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in essentially good condition and once the extensive and excessive retouchings have been removed, the amount of retouching would be reduced significantly and the painting should respond very well to cleaning, restoration and revarnishing. The following condition report has been provided by Sarah Walden, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting has an old lining and stretcher. There is a yellowed varnish with various small surface retouchings which have blanched. There is also an original seam down the right side with older retouching and some more recent blanched adjustments. Apart from down the seam any retouching seems to be to mute slight vertical craquelure probably from rolling in the past, and the sky is in generally good condition, as is the water of the harbour and other lighter areas. The darks of the cliffs and foreground are thin, but evenly thin, with strengthening in the cows on the top of the hills. The castle and further hills are good, as are the buildings of the town in general, although tending to be thin in the darks. The seam has tended to curve outwards apparently despite the lining and a line of glue down the back was presumably added to stiffen its support. However it is not disturbing and would not necessarily need relining again. The painting seemed to me rather fine, if thin in the darks. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@laitexier.com.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

This rare early English view was painted in 1747 before the artist travelled to Italy. This fine prospect of Dover is one of three known versions by the artist, the closest being a smaller painting in the Paul Mellon Collection (Yale Centre for British Art, New Haven). It has always been assumed that the print of this view published on 8^th April 1747, the first of Wilson's ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚworks to be engraved, was taken from the Yale painting. Close examination of the present work however, which has only recently been available to academic scrutiny, has revealed it to be the closest to Miller's engraving, and therefore likely to be the original picture on which the print is based. The third version, which differs from the present work in terms of its composition, is nevertheless closer in size (National🧸 Museum of Wales).

The size of this painting and its similarity to the Yale view suggests that it was commissioned from the artist by a patron who had seen the smaller composition and had a connection to the view depicted. Before the days of regular exhibitions in England it would have been unthinkable for an artist to produce a work on such a scale without the security of a direct commission. Such a patron would also need not only the means to purchase such a work, but the space to display it. Miller's original engraving was published with a flowery dedication to Lionel Sackville, 1^st Duke of Dorset (1688-1755), a fact that has always been thought odd considering that Dorset was a stau🌞nch supporter of the Court party, whereas Wilson's political connections lay with the opposition, centred around Frederick, Prince of Wales, and no apparent patronage ensued from the dedication. However Dorset, in his capacity as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, held the office of Constable of Dover Castle, and maintained a residence there, and it is highly likely that it was in fact he who commissioned the present painting from the artist. The elaborate dedication would therefore be cast in the light of a grateful thanks from a young artist at an early and formative stage in his career, to an eminent and important benefactor.