Joseph Highmore

The canvas has been relined. Under UV light there are scattered clusters of finely applied cosmetic retouching, notably above her lips, in her breast, and in the background to the left of her face and to the right of her shoulder, and a c. 3 by 8cm area of restoration above her head. There is some hairline craquelure in her fleshtones, and in the background, notably to the left of her. Held in a decorative gold-painted wood and plaster frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762) was the wife of the British ambassador to Constantinople, Edward Wortley Montagu. Celebrated as among the first Western women to have first-hand experience of the Ottoman world, her influential observations of Ottoman life were published under the title Turkish Embassy Letters. She travelled to Venice in 1739 and spent the final two decades of her life apart from her husband, returning to England only after his death in 1761. During her colourful life, despite opposition she introduced the practice of inoculation against smallpox to the West from the Ottoman Empire, where it was commonly practised.