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What impressed Lavery in the aging roué however, was his dapper appearance. He habitually wore a pale grey lounge
suit, with a gardenia buttonhole. (7) His silk tie carried his racing colours, and he was always seen holding a large Havana
cigar - of the type named after him. It was in this form that the painter decided to represent him in a separate portrait
(fig 2. Sir John Lavery, Hugh Cecil Lowther, Fifth Earl of Lonsdale, 1930, National Portrait Gallery, London) destined for the
Society of Portrait Painters and the Paris Salon. (8)
Despite his misgivings, Lavery followed normal custom and practice with the Doncaster commission. This entailed
making an oil sketch of the ensemble - the present canvas. In this instance it was essential on account of the detail
required in the regalia. As is often the case, works of this type have a freshness and spontaneity which grand manner
productions sometime lack. Here for instance, the proportions of the figure are more satisfactory than in the Doncaster
version, and the warm colouring of drapes and carpet work better with the overall scheme than its chequered floor
and cooler palette. In bravura touches, Lavery catches the sheen of the cloak lining and gold braid of the uniform,
accentuating their decorative effect. Lowther may well be steering his family fortunes towards the rocks, but none of
this is apparent in the face or indeed, the outward pageantry that the painter was asked to record.
Prof. Kenneth McConkey,
August 2015
IRISH & INTERNATIONAL ART · 28 SEPTEMBER 2015