Seeman Portrait of a boy

Seeman

Portrait of a boy, called George Duncombe, with a faun

Oil on canvas

Inscribed lower left 'George Duncombe Son of Anthony Ld. Feversham.'

132 x 101cm

Anthony, Lord Feversham (c.1695-1763) was MP for Salisbury between 1721 and 1734, followed by Downton from 1724-1747. He had inherited half the enormous estates of his uncle, Charles Duncombe, who had made a fortune in banking and died the richest commoner in England. Lord Feversham was married three times, his third wife marrying, as her second husband, the 1st Earl of Radnor. Lord Feversham had no sons and no male heir which makes the inscription on this portrait intriguing. The only conclusion is that George was his natural son, which would explain why he doesn't appear in any of the Peerages or Pedigrees.

Provenance: From the collection of Sir Michael Codron.