Christie's, London, 4 June 2013, lot 347

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Christie's, Londres, 4 juin 2013, lot 347

The arms are those of Fountaine of Narford Hall, Norfolk, probably for Sir Andrew Fountaine (1676-1753), the English connoisseur and🔯 art collector, who was born at Salle, Norfolk, the eldest son of Andrew Fountaine (1632-1707) and his wife, Sarah (b. 1654?), youngest daughter of Sir Thomas Chicheley of Wimpole, Cambridgeshire. He was a King’s scholar at Eton before going up to Christ Church College, Oxford, where he graduated in 1697. A gifted scholar, he was knighted in 1699 having been selected to make the Latin oration to William III on his entry to Oxford.

Fountaine made two Grand Tours of Europe, during the second of which, in 1714, he made many purchases of paiꦇntings and works of art for himself and on behalf of various wealthy friends. The dispersal of his collections, including majolica which was deemed to be the finest such assemblage outside Italy, took place in a four-day sale at Christie’s in 1884.

Died, 4 September 1753

‘Sir Andrew Fountaine, Kt, vice chamberlain to Q. Caroline, and warden of the mint, aged 78, at his seat at Narford, Norfolk. (The Gentleman’s Magazine, London, September 1753, p. 445)

‘THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE SIR ANDREW FOUNTAINE.

‘Mr. J.C. Robinson [Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures] gives some account in the Times of another great ancestral art collection of England which is about to be dispersed. Some time during the present sale season Messrs. Christie will bring to the hammer the Fountaine collection of Limoges enamels, majolica, Palissy and Henri Deux wares, together with many other miscellaneous treasures from the same famous gathering. The collection was formed about 150 years ago by Sir Andrew Fountaine, a Norfolk squire of good fortune and ancient lineage, and one of the most renowned connoisseurs of his day. Not without infinite regret can those who knew Narford think of the stately old house denuded of its chiefest ornaments; but is is indeed practically a rescue from oblivion, for very few of the millions who now take an interest in works of art would have hope to see these treasures while stored away in a remote corner of the land.’ (St. James’s Gazette, London, Friday, 18 April 1884, p. 12b)