Attributed to Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA

Attributed to Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA, FRS, FRSA (1723-1792)
Wooded river landscape with figures in the foreground
Oil on panel
87.3 x 106cm; 34¼ x 41¾in

Provenance:
Possibly Philip Gore, 4th Earl of Arran (1801-1884) (by 1873);
Arthur Gore, 6th Earl of Arran (1868-1958);
And by family descent;
From whom purchased by the present owner

Literature:
Possibly Algernon Graves and William Vine Cronin, A History of the Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds (London, 1899), vol. III, p.1238;
Possibly David Mannings, Sir Joshua Reynolds, A complete catalogue of his paintings (New Haven and London, 2000), text vol., pp.580-581, cat. no.2208 (untraced)

In their catalogue of Sir Joshua Reynolds' works, Algernon Graves and William Vine Cronin note 'The Earl of Arran in 1873 had a very fine oblong landscape with a group of three unfinished children in the middle distance'. Although the recorded dimensions of 35 x 30in do not correspond exactly to the present work, it is possible our painting is the same seen by Graves.