A ‘mystery’ painting, which had excited scholars from the National Maritime Museum in London, sold well above estimate at £80,500 in our Fine Paintings sale on 10th June 2010. From the Kinnaird Estate in Perthshire, the painting by Dominic Serres, dated 1767, was thought to be a picture of the British Fleet off Portsmouth Harbour. After three months of extensive research however, Elena Ratcheva, Picture Specialist at Lyon & Turnbull, can now reveal it is actually a ‘lost’ painting and one of twelve depicting the campaign to win Havana during the Seven Years War in 1762 that were painted by the artist.

The painting used to hang in The Cedar Room at Kinnaird. It was brought to the estate by Lady Jean, the wife of Sir John Ward who was the second son of William Ward, Viscount Ednam and 1st Earl of Dudley. Lady Jean Ward was the daughter of Whitelaw Reid, the American Ambassador to the Court of St James’s from 1905-1912, editor of the New York Herald Tribune newspaper and Republican vice presidential nominee in 1892, on a ticket headed by incumbent President Benjamin Harrison. The Ward house parties at Kinnaird were renowned for their hospitality and sport, and among their guests were members of the Royal family.

“The painting at some time in its history had been wrongly labelled and was known at Kinnaird as depicting ‘The Fleet off Portsmouth Harbour’. Initially we started looking for these details, but came up against a brick wall. After considerable research at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich and The British Museum we found out it was actually a lost painting from a set of twelve depicting the capture of Havana in 1762”, said Nick Curnow, Head of Paintings at Lyon & Turnbull, “It is one of the joys of the job, being part detective, part historian and discovering a painting of historic importance, that had until a few weeks ago been lost to the British art world. It proves there are still treasures out there to be discovered”, he continued.

Cuba's capital was the centre of the Spanish possessions in the Western Hemisphere and an important hub for Spain's mercantile and military forces. Spain had increasingly allied itself with France in its colonial war against England and George III finally declared war on Spain in 1762. Amid great secrecy an enormous fleet of more than 180 ships gathered, under the command of Admiral Sir George Pocock, and sailed from Jamaica to take Havana by surprise. The campaign was an complete success ending with Havana surrendering in the middle of August of that year, but the city was returned the following year in the Treaty of Paris. Some of the other twelve paintings are on view at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London.

For more information please contact Nick Curnow

nick.curnow@lyonandturnbull.com