Angela Conner

Presented to Mary Soames by the de Gaulle Statue Committee, 1993

The sheet has a perforated upper edge and has been removed from a sketchbook. The sheet is attached to a supporting board with tabs at the upper corners. The sheet is cockling along the right and upper edges and this has resulted in some small creases towards the centre of the right edge. There is some light surface matter at the lower right of the composition. Subject to the above the work is in good condition. The work is presented in a book mount with a gilt and painted wooden frame. Please contact the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 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."

Mary first met General Charles de Gaulle in July 1939 at no. 10 Downing Street. She noted in her diary 'The General is a stern, direct giant. We all thought him very fine' (Mary Soames, A Daughter's Tale, Doubleday, London, 2011, p.213). Mary and de Gaulle's paths would cross on numerous occassions during the war at Chequers and she was invited alongside her parents to celebrate Armistice Day with the de Gaulles, staying in the Quai d'Orsay. She would also meet him many years later as Monsieur le President de la Republique and in the early 1990s played a key role in raising funds for a statue of him to be erected in Carlton Gardens. She was given the present portrait in appreciation by the statue committee.