Duncan Grant

Nancy Mitford (1904-1973)

Deborah Devonshire, Wait for Me, London, 2010, p. 176.

Original canvas. The canvas appears sound. There are several pin holes apparent in both the upper corners and the lower right corner. There are stretcher bar marks visible to the edges of the work, and the canvas undulates slightly. There is some surface dirt and a discoloured varnish visible. There are some minor scratches to the extreme right hand edge of the canvas, a small scratch in the upper left quadrant, and further minor scuffs elsewhere. Ultraviolet light reveals some areas of fluorescence possibly in keeping with the nature of the artist's materials as well as the aforementioned discoloured and uneven varnish. Held in a simple dark wooden 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."

We are grateful to Richard Shone for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work.

The Duchess writes (op. cit. p. 8 and 9) 'My parents seldom had friends to stay. One exception was Violet Hammersley, who came on prolonged visits. 'Mrs Ham' was a near contemporary of Muv [Lady Redesdale] but seemed much older. She was born and had spent the first years of her life in Paris, where her father Mr Freeman-Williams, was a diplomat. When he died, Mrs Freeman-Williams took her young family to live in London, where Muv remembered her as a friend of her own father. Mrs Ham was an unexpected friend of my mother: her circle was intellectual and artistic - from Somerset Maugham to Bloomsbury and beyond - while Muv was taken up with children and domestic affairs. According to Nancy [Mitford] she looked like El Greco's mistress and, with her dark hair and sallow complexion, would have certainly made an ideal model for the painter. She always wore black and was draped in shawls from head to foot. We called her 'the Widow' or 'Wid', not to her face, but when it occasionally slipped out she put on the expression of resignation usually reserved for Nancy's teases. By the time I knew her, her late husband's bank had failed and Mrs Ham's means were much reduced... In spite of the difference in generations, Mrs Ham became an intimate friend of my sisters and mine because of her deep interest in our doings'.

Later the Duchess writes (op. cit. p. 176) 'Mrs Ham provided a wonderful subject for Duncan and his two portraits of her are among my treasured possessions'.