10068

CUT DOWN

Lady Waechter de Grimston, née Armatrude Hobart  1915

Half-length, wearing an organza stole over her blue gown, holding two narcissi at her breast in her left hand  

Oil on canvas, 29 x 26 inches (73.7 x 66 cm) oval

Originally inscribed lower left: P. A. de László. / 1915 May 16   

Laib L7681 (396) / C27(37) Lady Waecher [sic]

NPG 1913-15 Album, p. 29        

Sitters’ Book I, f. 101: Armatrude Waechter Jan: 25th 1915

Private Collection

Unusually, both portraits of Lady Waechter that de László painted in 1915 were cut down. The artist’s fine art photographer, Paul Laib [5994], photographed the present portrait in its finished state, preserving a record of the original composition. The second portrait [10066] was cut down on the sitter’s instruction, which suggests she may have made the same request in this instance.  

Lady de Waechter signed the artist’s Sitters' Book in January 1915 and the present portrait was inscribed 16 May 1915. This suggests that [10066] was painted first and rejected. A preparatory oil study [112133] shows the sitter holding her dog in a similar way to [10066], which supports this timeline. De László made a portrait drawing of the sitter’s husband in 1916 [1797] and this is untraced. The artist often gave these drawings to favourite sitters or in appreciation for commissions, as is probably the case in this instance.

For biographical notes on the sitter, see [10066].

PROVENANCE:         

Lt. Col. Robert Grimston;

His widow, from 1945-1986;

Private Collection

KF 2019