RHW26018
Copyright mgmt:
High Wycombe Library
Summary:
Photograph of a painting of a scene in the Old Town Hall (Guildhall), High St, High Wycombe, c1757.
Photographer:
Place:
High Street area, High Wycombe (central), Bucks, Interior view.
Content Notes:
Photograph of a painting of a scene inside the Old Town Hall (Guildhall), High Wycombe. As a result of research by Jackie Kay of the High Wycombe Society, much more is now (2022) known about the painting and the individuals shown can be named. The painting is said to be a “Conversation Piece” by artist Robert Pyle, and the date is c1757. It was a large painting said to measure 4′ 6” x 3′ 4”. The scene is a representation of a policy of the architect of the Guildhall, Henry Keene, that when he had preliminary drawings of the building he had been commissioned to design, he would like to get the opinion of the various trades who would be executing the design. He would therefore invite them to dine with him and afterwards show them the drawing and invite their comments. From left to right in the painting they are:n1. Benjamin Carter, a sculptor, and father of John Carter. n2. Euclid Alfray, Mr. Keene’s clerk. n3. Devereux Fox, a carver. n4. Henry Keene, the Architect : and in front of him his favourite dog, Comus. n5. Thomas Dryhirst, a carpenter. n6, Thomas Hefford, a plasterer. 7. Gcorge Mercer, a mason . 8. Edmund Rawlinson. n9. In front of the table, leaning on a chair, and talking to Mr. Keene, is Mr. Thomas Gayfere, who was Mason to Westminster Abbey, as was his son who wrote the above letter to J B Nichols. 10. J. Pratt, another mason. 11. William Cobbett ; father of Mr. Pitt Cobbettn12. Mr. Chapman, a mason. n13. John Duval, also a mason. n14. Jeremy Hutchinson, the old man on crutches in front. n15. Thomas Collins, plasterer. The painting no longer exists, having been destroyed in a fire in 1940.
Date:
1757
1757 is known to be the date the Guildhall was built.
Names:
Carter, Benjamin, (Sculptor), Alfray, Euclid, (Clerk, to Henry Keene), Fox, Devereux, (Carver), Keene, Henry, (Architect), Dryhirst, Thomas, (Carpenter), Hefford, Thomas, (Plasterer), Mercer, George, (Mason), Rawlinson, Edmund, Gayfere, Thomas, (Mason), Pratt, J., (Mason), Cobbett, William, Chapman, Mr (Mason), Duval, John, (Mason), Hutchinson, Jeremy, Collins, Thomas, (Plasterer)
Inscriptions:
Guildhall, High Street.
Subjects:
Civic building, Interior
Objects:
Image Source:
General Notes:
[a] Recommended for digitising
4 responses to “RHW26018”
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Assuming there was only one copy of this painting, then this photograph must have been taken prior to 1945 because the original painting was destroyed in a fire at a country house. A photograph of the painting featured in an article in Country Life magazine in that year, a copy of which was in the Green Collection at Wycombe library in 2014 (and probably still is, but I couldn\’t find it more recently) – I mentioned this in the Autumn edition of the High Wycombe Society newsletter in a more general article about artwork accessibility in the digital age. I have since been in touch with the Country Life archives to obtain a copy of this photograph and the related article, now awaited. The painting was executed in 1760 and shows the 1st Earl of Shelburne (of the 2nd creation) i.e. John Petty who commissioned the building of the Guildhall. The painting was originally given to and owned by the architect, Henry Keene, who is the central character shown pointing to plans of his work. The article lists all the people in the picture who worked for Lord Shelburne and/or Henry Keene in various capacities. When I manage to see the article, I will gladly supply the names of the artist and the various sitters.\r\n
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Assuming there was only one copy of this painting, then this photograph must have been taken prior to 1945 because the original painting was destroyed in a fire at a country house. A photograph of the painting featured in an article in Country Life magazine in that year, a copy of which was in the Green Collection at Wycombe library in 2014 (and probably still is, but I couldn\’t find it more recently) – I mentioned this in the Autumn edition of the High Wycombe Society newsletter in a more general article about artwork accessibility in the digital age. I have since been in touch with the Country Life archives to obtain a copy of this photograph and the related article, now awaited. The painting was executed in 1760 and shows the 1st Earl of Shelburne (of the 2nd creation) i.e. John Petty who commissioned the building of the Guildhall. The painting was originally given to and owned by the architect, Henry Keene, who is the central character shown pointing to plans of his work. The article lists all the people in the picture who worked for Lord Shelburne and/or Henry Keene in various capacities. When I manage to see the article, I will gladly supply the names of the artist and the various sitters.\r\n
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Good news and bad! Further to my previous comment on this item, I am now in possession of a copy of the Country Life article to which I referred, but I have also undertaken further research which undermines (and in fact I think disproves the assertion made in that article that one of the characters was probably Lord Shelburne).\r\nThe Country Life article is in the March 30, 1945 edition. It mentions a previous article by Fred Skull which drew attention to the painting and Mr Skull\’s identification of the location as the High Wycombe Guildhall.\r\nThe artist is Robert Pyle.\r\nAccording to the Country life article the people in the picture from Left to Right are as follows:\r\nBen Carter, Euclid Abfray, Devereux Fox, Henry Keene (seated cross-legged), Thomas Dryhurst, Thomas Hefford, George Mercer(pointing to plan), Edmund Rawlinson, Thomas Gayfere (leaning on chair back), J Pratt, William Cobbett, un-named gentleman, John Devet, Jeremiah Hutchinson, Thomas Collins.\r\nI have now found a completely independent source online – a publication of 1839 \”The Hall of the Chancellor\’s\” by John Gough Nicholls, which quotes from an 1824 letter from Thomas Gayfere, son of the one in the painting. It confirms the above names with a few spelling variations, gives more information about each of them and but also names the un-named gentleman as Mr Chapman, a mason – and even the dog is named as Comus. This publication also casts doubt on the location/occasion.
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Good news and bad! Further to my previous comment on this item, I am now in possession of a copy of the Country Life article to which I referred, but I have also undertaken further research which undermines (and in fact I think disproves the assertion made in that article that one of the characters was probably Lord Shelburne).\r\nThe Country Life article is in the March 30, 1945 edition. It mentions a previous article by Fred Skull which drew attention to the painting and Mr Skull\’s identification of the location as the High Wycombe Guildhall.\r\nThe artist is Robert Pyle.\r\nAccording to the Country life article the people in the picture from Left to Right are as follows:\r\nBen Carter, Euclid Abfray, Devereux Fox, Henry Keene (seated cross-legged), Thomas Dryhurst, Thomas Hefford, George Mercer(pointing to plan), Edmund Rawlinson, Thomas Gayfere (leaning on chair back), J Pratt, William Cobbett, un-named gentleman, John Devet, Jeremiah Hutchinson, Thomas Collins.\r\nI have now found a completely independent source online – a publication of 1839 \”The Hall of the Chancellor\’s\” by John Gough Nicholls, which quotes from an 1824 letter from Thomas Gayfere, son of the one in the painting. It confirms the above names with a few spelling variations, gives more information about each of them and but also names the un-named gentleman as Mr Chapman, a mason – and even the dog is named as Comus. This publication also casts doubt on the location/occasion.
Permission to use, or order a high resolution copy of this photograph
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