What is the Historic Deposits Project?
The aim of this project is to research and identify uncollected historic deposits in the Gallery stores – unprovenanced works of art of uncertain ownership. These works are not accessioned and are not part of the collection. Many of the artists are unknown or the works are copies. Most of the works have been stored at the Gallery for some time; the earliest recorded deposit date is 1928. Some of the works are unsolicited deposits or gifts, and some are likely uncollected enquiries. Others are thought to be copyist works or paintings brought in for testing.
In efforts to establish the provenance and ownership of the works, extensive research has been carried out in the National Gallery archives, for example in correspondence, picture movement log books, Gallery loan record books, registers of offers to the Gallery, and copyist records.
Thorough searches have also been made on external databases such as the Art Loss Register, Looted Art, and the Getty Provenance Research databases.
The works will ideally be returned to their owners. If this is not possible, some appropriate works will be retained in the National Gallery History Collection. The remainder will be offered as transfers to other accredited musuems or galleries, transferred to the National Gallery Conservation or Scientific departments, sold, or ethically disposed of after a three-month period ending on 7 October 2017.
The works of art
CORREGGIO, after
‘Christ presented to the People (Ecce Homo)’
M1084
1500–1700, Engraving, Frame: 53.1 x 41 x 1.5 cm
CORREGGIO, after
‘Venus with Mercury and Cupid’ ('The School of Love')
M1085
1600–1700, Engraving, Frame: 56.4 x 36.5 x 2.2 cm
GIOVANNI BATTISTA FALDA, after
‘City of Rome’ (map)
M1087
20th Century reproduction, Engraving, Frame: 162.2 × 158.5 × 5.3 cm
JOHANN PETER HASENCLEVER, after
‘Wine Tasting’
M1110
1843, Oil on canvas, Frame: 94 × 77 × 7 cm
ITALIAN
‘Landscape and Figures’
M1094
18th Century, Oil on canvas, Framed: 96 × 137.2 × 1.7 cm
Provenance: Mrs Rutter-Clarke c/o H. Badham, date of deposit 24 February 1955
SIR THOMAS LAWRENCE, after
‘Children’
M1107
1800–1900, Oil on panel, Frame: 21 × 187 × 3.7 cm
Provenance: Nixon
HUBERT G. PERCY
‘The Meadow Stream’
M1088
1830–1890, Engraving, Frame: 50.5 × 70.4 × 2.5 cm
JAMES POLLARD, after
‘The Hunt’ (after 'George III hunting in Windsor Forest')
M1089
1800–1900, Oil on canvas, Frame: 121 × 146 × 8 cm
Provenance: date of deposit 7 July 1942
THOMAS HOSMER SHEPHERD
‘The new Opening to St Martin's Church’
M1451
19th Century, Hand-coloured engraving, Framed: 19.9 x 25.5 x 1.4 cm
THOMAS HOSMER SHEPHERD
‘The new Opening to St Martin's Church from Pall Mall East’
M1452
19th Century, Hand coloured engraving, Framed: 31.1 x 35.2 x 1.4 cm
THOMAS HOSMER SHEPHERD
‘St Martin's Church’
M1453
19th Century, Hand-coloured engraving, Frame: 31.8 x 33.8 x 1.6 cm
HOWARD SMITH
‘A Thames Poem’
M1101
1906, Pen and ink on paper, Frame: 57 × 70 × 1 cm
Provenance: deposited by the artist
PHILIP WILSON STEER
‘Landscape’
M1097
1900, Watercolour, Frame: 65 × 52.5 × 2 cm
PHILIP WILSON STEER
‘Landscape’
M1098
1900, Watercolour, Frame: 64 × 52 × 2 cm
TITIAN, after
‘Bacchus and Ariadne’ (in Reverse)
M1083
1600–1900, Etching, Frame: 33.8 x 41 x 1.3 cm
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘Venetie MD’ (map)
M1086
20th Century, Engraving , 137.7 × 275 × 3.4 cm
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘House by a Lake’
M1091
1800-1900, Watercolour, Frame: 68.5 × 55.6 × 2 cm
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘A Ship being built’
M1095
19th Century, Watercolour, Frame: 64 × 81 × 2.5 cm
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘A Ship with Flags’
M1096
19th Century, Watercolour, Frame: 62 × 80.5 × 2 cm
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist‘
M1099
1800–1900, Oil on canvas, Frame: 59 × 50.7 × 3.5 cm
Provenance: Date of deposit 1950
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘Jael driving a Tent Peg into the Head of Sisera’
M1100
1800–1900, Oil on canvas, Frame: 60.7 × 50.5 × 4 cm
Provenance: Date of deposit 1950
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘Portrait of a Lady’
M1102
17th Century/ 19th Century, Oil on panel, Frame: 46.5 × 58 × 2.5 cm
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘Fighting Dogs’
M1103
19th Century, Oil on canvas, Frame: 53 x 29 x 6 cm
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘Seascape’
M1105
19th Century, Oil on panel, Frame: 17.7 × 35.8 × 1.5 cm
Provenance: Mrs Heisch, Bexhill
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘Seascape’
M1106
19th Century, Oil on panel, 36.2 × 18 × 10 cm
Provenance: Mrs Heisch, Bexhill
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘Portrait of a Fair Lady’
M1108
1820, Oil on card/paper, Frame: 15.6 × 13.3 × 1.4 cm
Provenance: Jones
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘Portrait of a Man’
M1109
19th Century, Oil on panel, Frame: 49 × 40 × 3.5 cm
Provenance: Ray, date of deposit 1930
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘Landscape with River’
M1537
19th Century, Oil on wood, 17.5 × 21.5 cm
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘Saint Sebastian’
M1538
1500–1600, Oil on poplar, Frame: 22.2 × 17.2 × 12 cm
UNKNOWN ARTIST
‘Madonna and Child’
M1539
Late 19th Century, Icon, Oil on wood, Integrated frame: 29.7 × 25.6 cm
Provenance: Joseph Kosmowsky, date of deposit 1928
PAOLO VERONESE, after
‘The Consecration of Saint Nicholas’
M1093
Mid–19th century, Oil on canvas, Frame: 56 x 77 x 3.5 cm
Provenance: thought to be a copyist work
Contact
Please contact Claire Hallinan on claire.hallinan@ng-london.org.uk if you are the owner of any of these works or have any further information about them.
Images available upon request.