[1] De László had planned to paint a picture for his own pleasure on a subject in connection with the First World War. He wished to depict: “not men fighting, but the still nobler part of suffering women at home; women of all classes in a chapel surrounding the burning candles for the fallen souls” (Rutter, pp. 372-373). The painting was never started, although many studies and sketches remained in the artist’s studio on his death. De László made four studies of Sir Rudolph Carl von Slatin’s daughter, Baroness Anne Marie von Slatin (1916-2007), for the picture: a full-length study of the Baroness kneeling in a church interior [4298], and three others that included both her and her companion, Countess Thérèse Eltz (1902-1993), who was also persuaded to pose [2974] [7006] & [7944]. De László also made a study portrait of Baroness Anne Marie [7176], which he gave to the sitter as a thank-you for agreeing to pose for the War Picture.

[2] Sir Rudolf, who was then in a sanatorium in Bad Hall, Austria, was suffering from a serious illness; he died on 4 October 1932.