Dante Gabriel Rossetti

James Hannay and thence by descent to his granddaughter Mrs Eleanor Witty and to her niece Mrs R.W. Aitken in 1968

Virginia Surtees, The Paintings and Drawings of Dante Gabriel Rossetti: A Catalogue Raisonne, 1971, vol. I, p.166, cat. no.322

The sheet appears to be sound. Appears to be a faint scratch to her cheek. The sheet has discoloured slightly, most noticeable along the lower left edge, and also one or two small spots of staining; otherwise appears in good overall condition. Held under glass in a gilt frame with an arched blue mount; unexamined out of 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."

Margaret Anne Thompson (1833-1865) was the daughter of a bank cashier named Joseph Thompson and the niece of the artist Kenny Meadows. She caught the eye of the Scottish writer John Hannay (1827-1873), who began to court her around the autumn of 1851. He called her 'the sugarplum of the universe' and after a long engagement (due to lack of funds), they married on 24 February 1853 at the Scots Church on River Terrace in Islington close to where the Thompsons lived. Hannay was friend of several members of the Pre-Raphaelite circle including Rossetti who was particularly fond of Margaret, describing her as 'one of the most beautiful and charming girls I ever met.' He made this drawing on 8 December 1852, only eighteen months after he first met her. The strong light effects in the picture suggest that the portrait was made by lamplight on that December evening. Sadly Margaret died aged only thirty-two in 1865 after bearing six children for Hannay. Rossetti also painted Margaret as the dead wife of Dante in the watercolour Dante's Dream at the Time of the Death of Beatrice in 1856 (Tate) - a sad prediction of the fate that would befall her.