6847

REJECTED WORK

Study portrait

Lady Elizabeth Percy 1922

Head and shoulders to the right, wearing a white chiffon stole round her shoulders and holding a doll

Oil on board, 76.2 x 58.5 cm (30 x 23 in.)

Inscribed lower right: daughter of the Duchess / of Northumberland / 1923 / PA de L   

Studio Inventory, p. 26 (144): The Lady Elizabeth Percy, daughter of the Duke of Northumberland. The Artist was staying at Syon House near London painting the portrait of the Duchess of Northumberland in her Coronation Robes when Lady Elizabeth Percy became engaged to Lord Clydes-dale. He promised her a sketch portrait as a wedding gift, but he became ill and died before he could do it. The Duchess acquired this earlier sketch from the Executors with the intention of presenting it to her daughter and son-in-law.

Private Collection

The Duchess of Northumberland [6841] commissioned a portrait of her elder daughter Lady Elizabeth as a surprise birthday present for her husband, the 8th Duke. During the course of his work, however, de László discovered stains on the board which appeared like watermarks showing through the background. According to the sitter, this greatly irritated the artist, who threw the portrait down before starting afresh. He nevertheless kept it in his studio.

After de László’s death, his widow presented this rejected version to the sitter's mother, Helen, Duchess of Northumberland. It is erroneously dated 1923, whereas the finished picture is dated 1922. Such mistakes were very frequent on the artist’s part, as he often inscribed rejected paintings left in his studio at a later stage with inaccurate dates.

According to de László’s studio inventory, he was staying at Syon House painting the Duchess of Northumberland in her coronation robes, when Lady Elizabeth Percy became engaged to Lord Clydesdale. De László promised a study-portrait as a wedding present but died before he could do it. The Duchess thus acquired the present portrait and offered it to her daughter and son-in-law.

For biographical notes on the sitter, see [6845].

PROVENANCE:

In the possession of the artist on his death

CC  2011