Portrait of Admiral Adam James Stirling

English school Manner of Thomas Phillips, or William Beechey
English, circa 1832-34
Portrait of Admiral Adam James Stirling, First Governor of Western Australia, Circa 1833
oil on canvas
Provenance: The Stirling Family, Great Britain

James Stirling was the eight of fifteen children of Andrew Stirling of Drumpelllier Lanarkshire. Joining the navy as a twelve-year old midshipman, he rose rapidly, obtaining his first command in the wars of 1812. During the period 1826-1828 Sterling was instrumental in exploring and colonising that half of Australia, then known as New Holland, centred on the Swan River, now Perth. He was the states first Governor and Commander in Chief from 1829-39.
Stirling was in England from late 1832 to February 1834. In 1833 he was knighted and later presented with the Swan Cup, which in the work of the Mitchell Library NSW, Stirling is shown standing next to. Whereas in this portrait most likely in the same hand, Stirling is portrayed with a sea-scape in the background.
Formidable Arts Reporter Terry Ingram, writing in the Sale-room column of The Australian Financial Review said at the time of this work’s sale in the UK: ‘The offering was a substantial 90cm by 70cm bust length early 19th century portrait in oils of Admiral Sir James Stirling, the first Governor of the colony, in uniform. Estimated at £1000 to £2000 it sold for £35,000 plus buyers premium helped by its solid provenance. It came down from the Stirling family to the latest unstated vendor (a member of the Stirling family ) ‘He continued: ‘Its offering should have been no secret to the many potential buyers in Australia, as it clearly related to another well-published portrait of the Admiral in the Mitchell Library, acquired in 1928. The Nottingham sale cataloguer said the Mitchell’s three-quarter length portrait of Stirling, attributed to Sir William Beechey or Thomas Phillips in the library, and the auction house’s smaller portrait, were presumably executed in the same studio between 1833 and June 1834.
Stirling was then in England to receive his knighthood and be presented with the Stirling silver cup, near which he stands next to in the Mitchell portrait. The cup was presented by the ‘Friends and relatives of the Swan River settlement” and is in the West Australian Museum’
Ingram continued: ‘The inclusion of the portrait in the Nottingham sale would almost certainly have been known by Australia’s East Coast book trade, which has usually dominated Australia’s colonial portrait market in the past, and to other buyers through the British trade press. That is why under bidder, Mr John Barkes, with links to the Australian colonial picture trade, did not persevere after the bidding had reached £30,000 and take it to £38,000. But it appeared to be news to the West Australian Museum, preoccupied with new building plans, when asked about it by Terry Ingram on Friday. Stirling crowned his career in 1851 with his commission as a Rear-Admiral, and the next year served at the Admiralty. The most conspicuous piece of Stirling memorabilia is a piece of sterling silver, made by Thomas Habgood of Hatton Garden, London, between 1832 and 1833. It is inscribed:
‘Presented to Capt. Sir James Stirling, first Governor of the Colony of Western Australia, by the friends and relatives of the settlers at Swan River, in testimony of their admiration of the wisdom of the decisions and kindness uniformly displayed by him and of their gratitude for his strenuous exertions with the Colonial Department for the benefit of that settlement. London, May 1833.’ In 1925 the Swan Cup was given to the people of Western Australia by two grandchildren of Sir James Stirling, and presented to the Premier, Philip Collier, during a visit to England.
The portrait, when its authorship is fully settled, is a serious piece of painting. Beechey was painter to Queen Charlotte and Phillips also painted Sir Joseph Banks”
It might seem logical that if both works were from the same studio, that this work could pre-date the version in the Mitchell library, as one would presume that having seen this work in the artist’s studio, a second work was commissioned with the silver-cup added as a commission for presentation, while the original remained with the Stirling family. It would seem illogical the other way around and if this speculation is correct, then this would make the present work even more significant.
Dimensions
90cm x 70cm
Artist or Maker
English school Manner of Thomas Phillips, or William Beechey
Medium oil on canvas