In the context of this artwork, explore the Sale by the Howards of the History.
The painting was included in the estate of George Howard, Baron Howard of Henderskelfe when he died in November 1984.  It was put on sale by his son, Simon Howard, to meet the costs of a divorce and to help with the running costs of the Castle Howard estate.  Howard offered to sell the work to the Tate Gallery, but its suggested price of £5.5 million was rejected.  Auctioned at Sotheby's in September 2001, the painting was bought by London art dealer Guy Morrison. The Antiques Trade Gazette suggested that Morrison had been subject to "auction fever", i.e. getting carried away and bidding more than his private client had authorised him to. The total sale price of £10.3 million (after fees and commission) was a record for a work by Reynolds and, at the time, the second highest amount paid for a painting by a British artist: the then record being set in 1990 of £10.7 million for John Constable's The Lock, this has since been substantially surpassed, including by further sale of The Lock in 2012 (£22.4 million).
Castle Howard Tate Antiques Trade Gazette The Lock Tate Gallery Sotheby's London John Constable George Howard, Baron Howard of Henderskelfe