English School, 18th Century Portrait of a gentleman, traditionally identified as Thomas Chatterton (1752-1770), half-length, in a brown coat and white stock, seated at a table, holding papers bears inscription "Chatterton. Poet." upper left oil on canvas 62 x 75cm (24 x 29in) Provenance: With J. Harris, Berkeley St., London. Christie's London, 18 December 1953, lot 118, as 'Thomas Gainsborough: Portrait of Thomas Chatterton, the poet' (£52.10.0 to Rudebeek). with M. Bernard, Ryder St., London. Christie's, London, 4 February 1955, lot 65, The Property of the Earl of Jersey, as 'Thomas Gainsborough: Portrait of Thomas Chatterton, the poet' (£27.6.0 to Fennil or Fenouil (£27.6s) The Long Gallery, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham; Christie's, London, 17 Feb 2008, lot 66, as 'English School, 18th Century'; where acquired by the vendor Other Notes: The tradition that Gainsborough painted Chatterton was first proposed by George Williams Fulcher in his 1856 biography of the artist. He described the portrait as a masterpiece 'with his long flowing hair and child-like face' (2nd edition, 1856, p. 89). Sir Walter Armstrong (Gainsborough and his place in British art, 1898, pp. 110, 193 and 1904, p. 261) doubted the identification and linked Fulcher's description with a picture that once belonged to E. Naylor, describing it as 'half length. Green coat; hair falling much over the forehead and reaching to the shoulders; the face almost in profile.' It measured 22 by 18 inches. It seems unlikely that Chatterton ever sat to Gainsborough. We are grateful to Hugh Belsey for his assistance with the catalogue entry. Oil on canvas which has been lined and extended at the right hand side. The canvas is in plane with good tension. The paint layer has suffered from damage and loss in the past, the texture is slightly uneven with wrinkling in the background. The painting has been heavily reworked. More recent retouchings in the background appear very matte. The varnish is clear, even and semi-glossy. There are small chips and losses to the gilding on the frame.