Sir Edward John Poynter, Bt., P.R.A., R.W.S.

Sir William Peterson, K.B.E. (by 1925)
Sale: Christie's, London, June 17, 1927, lot 93 (as Cloe)
Latham (acquired at the above sale)
Lady Agnes Chichester Dixon-Hartland, née Christie, Cheltenham, United Kingdom (and sold, her sale, Ashley Manor, Cheltenham, July 17-20, 1956, lot 772)
Private Collection
Sale: Sotheby's, London, June 20, 1989, lot 38, illustrated
Private Collector, New York
Thence by descent

London, Royal Academy, 1885, no. 322

Henry Blackburn, Academy Notes, 1885, p. 45, illustrated (the undraped version illustrated)
The Times, May 28, 1885, p. 5
The Art Journal, 1885, p. 257
The Athenaeum, 1885, vol. I, p. 570-1
Algernon Graves, The Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1906, vol. III, p. 198
William Gaunt, Victorian Olympus, London, 1975, p. 146

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This work has been recently and well restored. Retouches are particularly focused in the mauve colored marble columns on the right and left, where some cracking and instability had occurred. In addition, the arms, chest and face of the figure had lost some of their glazes. There are retouches throughout these areas addressing some of this unevenness and cracking. In the remainder of the figure, there are just a few cracks around her right calf. The marble steps below are in good condition and much of the dark colors in the background are also very well preserved. However, some of the cracking that has developed in these dark colors has also received retouching. The work should be hung as is.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Diadumenè, originally exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1885 as a nude, inspired a debate carried out in the correspondence columns of The Times regarding the nude in art. Sir Edward John Poynter was eventually drawn into the argument and despite his strong stance against his critics in these debates, he was compelled to add drapery to the figure, as it is seen today (Gaunt, p. 146). The small bronze statue in the painting’s background echoes Diadumenè’s pose, though its still undraped state is a reminder of Poynter’s original intentions for the work.