British School (19th Century) Portrait of William Townend, three quarter length, shown standing wearing long black dinner jacket, leaning upon a book titled 'The History of Manchester Vol II', with a writing set and open publication resting upon a circular side table, a meandering river landscape visible through the window beyond, oil on canvas, 128 x 102 cm, frame 170 x 144 cm

Notes: William Townend was a merchant, philanthropist and patron of the arts from Manchester. He was the Vice President of the Manchester Auxiliary of the British and 810 Appendix 14 foreign Bible society. Townend is listed as a benefactor and hereditory governer for the Royal Manchester Institution c.1834, his brother Thomas Townend was also on the council and served as Treasurer for the Institution. William was an avid art collector and donated a number of paintings to the public galleries in the Manchester area.

Provenance: Consigned from the estate of a descendant of the sitter