(early 19th century)

Portrait of George Henry Harrison Esq. (1816-1846) Standing in His Study, 1840, unsigned, inscribed verso "Portrait of G. H. Harrison Esq. 1840", gold ink, watercolor over pencil, 19 x 14-1/2 in.; gilt wood frame, 23 x 18-1/2 x 1-1/2 in.

Provenance: David Ker, London; The Estate of Peter H. Tillou, Litchfield, Connecticut, Sold by Brunk Auctions, September 30, 2022, lot 544, sold for $1600

Note: George Henry Harrison Esq. (1816-1846) was an associate of the Old Watercolor Society. The note from David Ker states, "The sitter may well be George Henry Harrison A.O.W.S. (1816-1846) who would have been 24 when this portrait was painted. He was the illegitimate son of a failed merchant and landowner and of the flower painter Mary Harrison. The circumstances of his birth may help account for the exuberant and somewhat fanciful display of heraldry. The coat of arms is for Harrison of London and Yorkshire but the inclusion of the arms of St. Edmund and those of Scotland, Ireland, and the Royal English arms would appear to represent a dubious claim to ancient and aristocratic descent. Furthermore, the device of the two arms holding swords is that of the Queen's Hereditary Champions and is borne as such only by the family of Dymoke of Scrivelsby. The supporters, the eagle badge, and the Order on Mr. Harrison's coat suggest a Catholic connection. Such flamboyant displays of ancestral pride arose from the great interest in Arthurian legend which peaked around the mid nineteenth century."