PAIR 18TH CENTURY PORTRAIT PAINTINGS

A very handsome and well executed pair of 18th century Irish Georgian portraits circa 1790, both painted in pastels on toned black/grey wove paper laid down on canvas, set within their original 18th century giltwood frames that retain much of their original gilding; the reverse of both panels bear remnants of old handwritten paper labels denoting the sitters as those of William Pritchard, together with his wife Sarah Pritchard (nee FitzGerald), purportedly a family relation to James FitzGerald, 1st Marquess of Kildare and Duke of Leinster; both portraits remain in very good overall condition with a few minor blemishes, the foundations are sound with some separations observed at the top and left-hand side of the portrait of William Pritchard; both are apparently unsigned - sight of images 50.8 40.6cm (20 x 16in), the frames measure 72.4cm (28 1/2) high x 61cm (24in) wide x 7cm (2 3/4in) deep