Reeman Dansie
Los 812
Samuel Finney (1719-1798) watercolour miniature on ivory, Admiral Sir Charles Hardy, wearing a powdered wig and the first undress uniform of a Captain, signed with initials, engraved as titled verso, in gilt glazed frame, 4.3 x 3.8cm, presented in glazed box frame with easel support. Provenance: Sotheby's, Portrait Miniatures, 5/7/84. N.B. By chance a previously unrecorded portrait of Sir Charles Hardy was sold in these rooms earlier this year. Born Charles Le Hardy (1716-1780) in Portsmouth into a notable Jersey family with a strong naval tradition. He unsurprisingly dropped the 'Le' during this period of mostly hostile relations with France, He entered the Royal Navy aged 16 and was made Lieutenant in 1737 and Captain in 1741. In 1755 he was knighted and appointed Governor of New York, this during a period of heightened tensions and rebellion in the colony and Charles didn't relish the task of quelling the spirit of independence, he entreated the government to find him another position at sea. In 1757 he was promoted Rear Admiral of the Blue, promotions continued and he was made Governor of Greenwich Hospital in 1771 and was M.P. for Portsmouth from 1774, after which he returned to Naval command and in 1779 was made Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Fleet, a year later he died. APHA Ref: 31222111431Not examined out of the glazed frame, some deterioration towards lower periphery of the miniature, otherwise appears to be ok, scratches to glass
