Francis
Alleyne
1750 - 1815
Portrait of Mrs Ann Clifton (1753-1820) and her son Nathaniel sated by a table
Portrait of Mrs Ann Clifton and her son Nathaniel
inscribed on a label attached to the reverse " Mrs Anne Clifton (nee Hine of Watlington Oxfordshire / born 1753, Married Dr Nathaniel Clifton 1778, died 28th Jan 1820, buried St Mary's Islington. / On her knee is her son born 19th Feb 1786/ she had 9 children
oil on canvas
44 x 53 cm.
Provenance
Hilary Stafford Northcote, Bishton Hall, Wolseley Bridge, Staffordshire,
Artist biography
Francis Alleyne was an itinerant portrait painter visiting country houses around England. He specialised in small, oval three-quarter lengths and occasionally exhibited between 1774 and 1790. His working methods seem to have paid off as many of his portraits can still be found in family collections, with his distinctive style enabling swift identification of others.
Examples of Alleyne's work can be found in the collections of the National Trust in the U.K and Yale Center for British Art, U.S.A as well as numerous private collections. Francis Alleyne' was born or died on the dates associated with him. It seems he's a bit of a mystery. According to the National Gallery in London, Alleyne was active from 1774-1790 only.