Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt., A.R.A., R.W.S.

By descent to the sitter Margaret Mackail, nee Burne-Jones (1866-1953);
To her daughter, Angela Margaret Thirkell, nee Mackail (1890-1961);
To her son, Lancelot Thirkell and thence by descent

STUCTURE The canvas appears to have been strip- lined. There is an area which may be discolouration to the figure's sleave lower left and the surface is dirty with a few specks of staining. There is a fleck of old paint loss to the left of the figure's chin and two tiny flecks to the figure's sleeve on the left. ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT UV reveals an uneven varnish and a few flecks of retouching to the figure's hair and to the background. These are very minor. FRAME Held under glass in a gilt plaster frame. Please telephone the department on 020 7293 5718 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"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."

'Margaret is very difficult to know. She is still almost as shy as she was a child... I hope you could see her beauty through the veil of years. The wonderful eyes are almost unchanged.' GRAHAM ROBERTSON, 1934

Margaret (1866-1953) was Edward and Georgiana Burne-Jones' only daughter, her father's 'dear companion' and most adored muse. With a delicate beauty resembling his other models, she suited several of Burne-Jones' pictures. She was cast in the central role as Perrault's sleeping princess in the Briar Rose series (Buscot Park, Oxfordshire) as one of the angelic girls in The Golden Stairs of 1872-1880 (Tate) and as a vestal in Flamma Vestalis of 1886 (sold in these rooms, 19 November 1969, lot 160). In these pictures Burne-Jones sought to protect the purity and youth of his daughter and to celebrate his deep paternal love for her. The series of portraits that he painted throughout her life, perhaps serve a similar purpose.