111158

Study portrait

Mrs Henry Cecil Elwes, née Muriel Hargreaves 1920

Head and shoulders, in semi-profile to the left, wearing pearl earrings and a pearl necklace, and a dark green dress

Oil on board, 71.1 x 53.3 cm (28 x 21 in.)

Inscribed lower right: PA de László / London / 1920 Nov 7

Sitters’ Book II, opp. f. 18: Muriel Elwes. November 5th

Private Collection

This study portrait was executed after de László finished the large group painting of Mrs Elwes’s husband, father-in-law, and son [5014]. De László visited their home, Colesbourne Park in Gloucestershire, and painted the Yew Walk [111157] and a preparatory study [5020] for the group portrait. The present picture was completed in the artist’s studio in London. Lucy de László noted in her diary 4 November 1920: “P.[hilip] could not finish Mrs Elwes’ picture in afternoon, so he I and John went to see the Spanish pictures at Burlington House.”^[1] Given that Mrs Elwes signed the sitters’ book on 7 November, it is likely that two sittings of two hours were necessary, three at the most. It may well have been executed as a present to the Elwes’ family, a gesture de László often made when he had received a large commission, but there is no confirmation of this in the artist’s archive.

Muriel Elwes was the daughter of John Hargreaves. On 10 July 1901, she married Henry Cecil Elwes, with whom she had four children: Cecilia, John Hargreaves (born 1906), who was painted by de László, Gerda (born 1911), and Diana (born 1913). Muriel Hargreaves died on 25 April 1954, four years after her husband.

LITERATURE:

•László, Lucy de, 1920 diary, private collection, 4 November entry, p. 309

CC 2008