The Greuze portraits
There were two matching portraits
by
Jean-Baptiste Greuze
in the Herbert / Montgomery family.
These were
of the two brothers:
-
George Augustus Herbert, 11th Earl of Pembroke.
Painted in Paris in 1780.
- His illegitimate half-brother,
Augustus Reebkomp (later Montgomery).
Maybe painted after he went on leave from the navy in 1783.
Portrait of 11th Earl of Pembroke
The future 11th Earl sat for this portrait by
Jean-Baptiste Greuze
in Paris, 24 May to 2 June 1780.
See
[PP, vol.1, pp.482-485].
[PP, vol.1, p.355]
describes this picture as missing as at 1939.
[PP, vol.2, p.88]
describes this picture as missing as at 1950.
Its whereabouts were known again by
[Russell, 1992].
It was put up
for sale in 2000.
The sale said it came "By descent from the
3rd Earl Clanwilliam".
It was purchased by the
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, where it now hangs.
11th Earl of Pembroke, 1780.
Portrait by
Jean-Baptiste Greuze.
Used here with the kind permission of the
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Wider shot of the Greuze picture, showing the frame.
See original BMP.
From here.
Used with the kind permission of the
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Portrait of Augustus Reebkomp (later Montgomery)
The sister portrait, of Augustus Reebkomp (later Montgomery).
Thought to be by
Jean-Baptiste Greuze.
Maybe painted at the time Augustus went on leave from the navy in 1783.
This portrait
was inherited by his descendants
the
Gibbon family.
They owned it as at 1913.
Sometime between 1913 and 1926, Augustus Montgomery's descendant
Arthur F.V. Gibbon
sold the Greuze
to meet debts
(notably school fees).
Its whereabouts are now unknown.
Augustus Reebkomp (later Montgomery)
as a young man, maybe around 1783.
Photo of lost portrait,
thought to be by
Jean-Baptiste Greuze.
The portrait was sold between 1913 and 1926,
and maybe this photo is cut out of the auction catalogue.
The photo looks very professional.
Will of Arthur Augustus Gibbon
(died 1907)
mentions the five portraits of his parents and grandparents.
These can be identified as the portraits of
Arthur Gibbon and his wife
and
Capt. Robert Gibbon and his wife
and the lost Greuze portrait.
Photo showing the Greuze
hanging in
Lawn House,
the home of
Arthur F.V. Gibbon.
Photo
in Apr 1913.
See full size
and original.
See close-up
and further close-up.
Shows that the Greuze
was quite a large picture.
Note the oval frame matches the frame of the picture of the 11th Earl.
The frames seem identical.
Lawn House
is now a pub.
This fireplace behind the bar (E end of the building)
is the only location that matches in any way the
1913 photo above.
The approximate position and dimensions of the fireplace seem right,
though there are many differences.
It is unclear if this is the same location as the photo.
The E end of the building was redesigned and the door moved,
so maybe the old fireplace is simply gone.
Nothing else in the building matches at all.
Photo 2019.
See
full size.
See
other shot.
See
closer.
See
wider.
