John Musters

Painted for the sitter, John Musters [1753-1827], Colwick Hall, Nottinghamshire; probably by inheritance to his son, John Musters [1777-1849], Colwick Hall; (his estate sale, at Colwick Hall by J.M. Pott, 9-13 and 16 December 1850, 4th day [Dec. 12], no. 680, bought in); by inheritance to his grandson, John Chaworth Musters [1838-1887], Annesley Park, Colwick Hall, and Wiverton Hall; his estate; sold 3 July 1888 to (Thos. Agnew & Sons, Ltd., London); sold 10 July 1888 to Sir Edward Cecil Guinness [later 1st earl of Iveagh, 1847-1927], Dublin, London, Cowes, and Elveden Hall, Suffolk; sold 19 November 1892 back to (Thos. Agnew & Sons, Ltd., London); sold 29 June 1897 to (William Lockett Agnew, London).[1] private collection ["a lady"]; consigned for her by (William Lockett Agnew, London) to (sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 27 April 1901, no.101); (Thos. Agnew & Sons, Ltd., London); sold two days later to Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, 9th duke of Marlborough [1871-1934];[2] (sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 14 June 1907, no. 104); bought by (Lane) for Sir W. Hutcheson Poë, Bt., Batchwood Hall, near St. Albans;[3] (sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 8 July 1927, no. 58); (Thos. Agnew & Sons, Ltd., London);[4] sold the same month to Alvan T. Fuller [1878-1958], Boston; The Fuller Foundation, Boston; gift 1961 to NGA. [1] The purchase of the painting by Guinness and its sale back to Agnew is discussed in Julius Bryant, _Kenwood: Paintings in the Iveagh Bequest_, New Haven and London, 2003: 15, 354 fig. 2, 356-357, 417; this reference was kindly brought to the Gallery's attention by a descendant of the sitter, Robert Chaworth-Musters, in an e-mail of 7 July 2015, copy in NGA curatorial files. The Thos. Agnew & Sons Ltd. Archive was acquired in 2014 by the National Gallery Archive, London, and the picture stock books have since been digitized and made available on-line. The Reynolds is recorded on page 92 of the stock book for 1885-1891 (reference number NGA27/1/1/7), and on page 35 of the stock book for 1891-1898 (reference number NGA27/1/1/8); copies in NGA curatorial files. [2] Agnew stock books, recorded by The Getty Provenance Index, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, California. See also letter of 9 June 1988 from Martha Hepworth at The Getty Provenance Index, in NGA curatorial files. [3] The Getty Provenance Index records Lane as the buyer for Poë. [4] Details of the consignors and buyers at the 1901, 1907, and 1927 Christie's sales were kindly confirmed by Lynda McLeod, Librarian, Christie's Archives, in her e-mail of 1 August 2012, in NGA curatorial files.