4270

The Countess of Cromer, née Lady Ruby Elliot 1925

Seated three-quarter length slightly to the left with head turned and looking right, her right hand raised to her cheek, wearing a loose fur-trimmed satin evening coat over a dinner dress, with a long pearl necklace and pendant

Oil on canvas, 90.2 x 69.9 cm (35 ½ x 27 ½ in.)

Inscribed lower right: de László / 1925 July

Laib L11767 (111) / C6 (18)  

NPG Album 1925-27, p. 6

Sitters’ Book II, opp. f. 45: Ruby Cromer. July 17th 1925.

Private Collection

Earlier in 1925, Lady Minto [6343] had commissioned de László to paint the portrait of her granddaughter, Lady Rosemary Baring [6762], as a present to her son-in-law and daughter, Lord and Lady Cromer. Although the Earl of Cromer paid for the present portrait,^[1] Lady Minto closely followed its execution, and that of the painting of her second daughter, Lady Violet Astor, which was to be done by de László in parallel [8208]. This version of Lady Violet’s portrait was abandoned,^[2] but de László was clearly inspired by her sister the Countess of Cromer. In a letter from the artist to Lady Minto, dated 3 June 1925, he wrote: “On my return [from Paris] I look forward to painting Lady Cromer – she is so full of interest – in literary, and artistic ways – which certainly reflects in her beautiful expression and features.”^[3] About ten days later, when arranging sittings for mid-July with Lady Cromer, de László told her that he intended her portrait to be special: “Please bring with you anything in the way of dress that you like, and if I think they are not very suitable – I will try and apply my own material, as I would like to do something very picturesque.”^[4]

De László was so delighted with his sitter that he asked for her permission to make a full-length portrait study of her for his own pleasure [4272].

In 1927, de László went on to paint a portrait of Sir Rowland Thomas Baring, 2nd Earl of Cromer [4263] as a complementary portrait to the present one, and in 1937, he painted a portrait of Lord and Lady Cromer’s youngest daughter, Lady Violet Vernon [8244].  

Lady Ruby Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound was born on 26 September 1886, the second daughter of the 4th Earl of Minto and his wife, Mary Grey. She married Rowland Baring, Viscount Errington, the son of the 1st Earl of Cromer, on 4 April 1908, at St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster, London. Their marriage was a solid and happy one, she being a constant support for her husband. Together they had three children: Lady Rosemary (born 1908) [6762], Lady Violet (born 1911) [8244], and George Rowland (born 1918). Her husband succeeded to the title on 29 January 1917, when she became Countess of Cromer. A woman of great intelligence, Lady Cromer had a passion for travelling, and a literary sensibility that expressed itself in a number of writings, including Unfettered Ways (1935) and Such Were these Years (1939). She was invested as a Dame Grand Cross, Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem and from 1944, was Vice President of The Order of St. John for London. Her husband died in 1953, and she died on 5 November 1961, aged seventy-five.

EXHIBITED:

•The French Gallery, London, A Series of Portraits and Studies by Philip A. de László, M.V.O., June 1927, no. 2

•Hôtel Charpentier, Paris, Exposition P.A. László, no. 36

LITERATURE:         

•Woman's Journal, December 1927, cover ill.

•The Sketch, 15 June 1927, ill.

•The Christmas Woman’s Journal, vol. I, no. 2, December 1927, front cover, ill.

•Rutter, Owen, Portrait of a Painter, London, 1939, pp. 256, 357-358

•Correspondence from Philip de László to the Countess Minto, in the possession of a descendant of the recipient

•DLA117-0113, letter from de László to Lady Cromer, 12 June 1925

•DLA121-0007, letter from de László to Lady Cromer, 4 September 1925

•DLA117-0122, letter from de László’s secretary to the Earl of Cromer, 8 October 1925

CC 2008