After leaving the army in 1732, Marcellus Laroon lived as a gentleman of fashion, singer, cellist, composer and artist. His subject matter included conversation pieces, musical parties, stage scenes, and fancy and low-life subjects, influenced by the work of Flemish and French artists, especially David Teniers and Jean-Antoine Watteau.

Although drawings such as this display an element of caricature, they provide a valuable commentary on the social life and fashions of the period. In this case they also reveal a widespread prejudice against disabled and physically different people, as well as against the poor, with the dwarf treated as a figure of fun by the fashionably dressed men and women at right.

Fawcett (first name unknown); purchased there by Dr John Percy, London (1817-1889), L.1504 (verso, lower left); his sale, Christie's (London), 17 April 1890, lot 736; Henry Graves & Co. (London) [his label on the former frame]; Leonard G. Duke, London (1890-1971); Mr and Mrs Horace Bernard Milling (1898-1954); Mrs Mary Spooner (formerly Milling); Spooner Gift 1980

British Watercolours from the Spooner Collection, Huntington Museum of Art, Los Angeles, 12/02/2005-15/05/2005; Wordsworth Trust, Grasmere, 18/07/2005-23/10/2005; Hermitage Rooms, Somerset House, London, 16/11/2005-12/02/2006

Masters of the Watercolour - Watercolours from the Spooner
Collection, Holburne Museum of Art, Bath, 1969

The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/04/1968-01/07/1968 ...More

The Spooner Collection of British Watercolours, Courtauld Institute Galleries; Huntington Library; Wordsworth Trust, 2005-06
cat. no. 1
ill. on p. 75

Masters of the Watercolour - Watercolours from the Spooner Collection, Holburne Museum of Art, Bath, 1969
cat. no. 44

The William Spooner Collection and Bequest, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1968
cat. no. 34 ...More

Watermark: Watermark: centre: Strasburg lily above "4" above "L V G" (no exact match in Churchill but smaller versions in Heawood such 1809, 1810 or 1817 on English early 18th-century papers).

Inscription: Recto: lower right, graphite: “by Laroon” [rest illegible]. Verso: upper right, graphite: “3/256”; lower right corner, brown ink, the numbers crossed out in graphite: “S / 7.6”; lower left, the first three words in graphite, rest in brown ink: “Origl Drawg / by Larroon / I.del”; lower left corner, brown ink: “No 21338”. Mount (removed, cut down and now in file), graphite, L.G. Duke's hand: “Marcellus Laroon 1679-1772 / c 1705 Ex coll Dr J. Percy, whose collector's mark is on / the reverse. / LGD / Exh Marlborough & Queen Anne Exhibition, Chesterfield House 1934. / " Paris, Exhibition of English Manners and Humour 1938”.

Collector's mark: Verso: lower left corner, stamped in black: Dr John Percy (L.1504)

Label: Frame (missing, recorded in object file): "Coll. Mr & Mrs Spooner"; "Exhibition of Drawings and Paintings by Marcellus Laroon, Aldeborough Festival, 3 - 25 June 1967 / Tate Gallery 7 - 30 July 1967"; "Henry Graves & Co. Ltd., / 6 Pall Mall, London SW.".