Sargent painted A Game of Bowls at the 14th century moated manor house in 1889 when he visited the Palmer family during their stay.
A Game of Bowls is currently on loan to the National Trust property from Sotheby’s as part of an exhibition. The trust has the chance to buy the painting and is trying to raise £100,000. It has issued a public appeal as well as calling on trusts and funds to achieve the total. It has already raised £32,000, with £68,000 outstanding.
Sargent’s scene captures the real-life scenario when General Jackson Palmer, the railway baron who founded Colorado Springs, and his family rented Ightham Mote from 1887-90. They regularly hosted their literary and artistic circle of friends.
The painting shows Palmer’s wife ‘Queen’, daughter Elsie, friend Alma Strettell and Singer Sargent’s sister Violet playing bowls on the North Lawn.
The painting, measuring 4ft 8in x 7ft 6in (1.43 x 2.3m), was exhibited in 1890 at the avant-garde New Gallery, run by Joe Comyns Carr.
Bernadette Gillow, general manager at Ightham Mote, said: “We have an exceptionally rare opportunity to restore a period painting that features Ightham Mote to the location in which it was painted, the view of which has little altered today. It would significantly enhance our collection - which is compiled mainly of non-indigenous objects – and enable us to explore a lesser-known period in the Mote’s history.”
Richard Ormond CBE, grand-nephew of Singer Sargent, said: “The opportunity to bring this exceptional picture back to the place where it was painted is too good to miss… It is strong in atmosphere and character and it is a remarkable work of art.”
