English: Nathaniel Dance R. A.

Portrait of John Lee (1733-1793), Attorney-General, wearing legal robes

signed with initials and dated upper left: N.D. p / 1770

oil on canvas

Provenance

By descent from the sitter to his great-nephew, Charles Benjamin Lee-Mainwaring (1797-1874);

Thence by descent until anonymously sold, London, Sotheby’s, 12 July 1989, lot 41, to Thost on behalf of Dr. Rau for £3,500;

Bequeathed by Dr. Rau to the Foundation of the German Committee for UNICEF.

Note

Born in Leeds, the sitter was the youngest of ten children of Thomas Lee, a cloth merchant, and his wife Mary Reveley. Called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn he rose to prominence following his successful defence of Admiral Augustus Keppel when he was tried by court-martial for his conduct at the Battle of Ushant in 1778. Known as "Honest Jack" for his integrity, he was appointed Solicitor General in 1780 and Attorney General in 1783. Lee also sat to Reynolds in 1786 (Private Collection).