Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A.

By descent from the sitter to her son, Edward Southwell, Lord de Clifford (1767-1832);
Sold by the trustees of his deceased estate, London, Christie's, 20 April 1833, lot 56 (as 'The Dowager Lady Clifford, in an oval, very spirited'), where bought, according to Graves and Cronin (see literature), for the family, but afterwards sold to Wertheimer, London;
With Charles Wertheimer, London, by whom sold, on 23 March 1888, to Thomas Agnew & Son;
With Agnew's, London, sold, on 30 April 1888, to James Price;
By whom sold back to Agnew's, 21 June 1893;
With Agnew's, London, sold, 2 June 1894, to Abel Buckley;
Sold by his executors back to Agnew's again, 17 February 1910;
With Agnew's, London, sold ,12 July 1910, to G. L. Bevan;
By whom sold again to Agnew's,18 July 1910;
With Agnew's, London, sold, on 11 April 1911 to Joseph Bruce Ismay (1862-1937);
Thence by descent to the present owner.

London, Royal Academy, 1875, no. 61.

Agnew's Picture Stockbook, no. 4;
A. Graves & W. V. Cronin, A History of the Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds, 4 vols., London 1899-1901, vol. III, p. 915, reproduced vol. II, opposite p. 544 (before it was over painted);
E. K. Waterhouse, Reynolds, London 1941, p. 58 (as Mrs. Edward Southwell);
D. Mannings, Sir Joshua Reynolds; A complete catalogue of his paintings, 2 vols., London and New Haven 2000, text vol., no. 1654, p. 421, plates vol., fig. 882, p. 378 (reproduced with over paint). 

The picture appears to be in good overall condition and the catalogue illustration is representative. There are no apparent signs of extant damage or loss of paint. The canvas has been lined and the paint is consequently a little flat, although it has not been pushed into the canvas weave or noticeably abraded, and there is still some impasto in the white highlights in the dress and pearls. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals heavy retouching to the corners, on the outside of the painted oval. There is also an area of retouching in the sitter's costume, lower right, and minor flecked retouching in the adjacent background, as well as infilling to craquelure in the face. There is a small amount of scattered further flecks of retouching in the background. Held in a carved and gilded Carlo Marratta wooden frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482.
"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."

The sitter was the daughter of Samuel Campbell of Mount Campbell, Co. Leitrim, Ireland. On 29 August 1765 she married Edward Southwell, who succeeded to the barony of De Clifford in 1776. Her husband died one year later, in 1777, and the newly enobled, and widowed Lady de Clifford was appointed Governess to Princess Charlotte (1796-1817), daughter of the future King George IV.

Painted in 1766, appointments with Mrs Southwell are recorded in Reynolds's account book in March and April of that year (see. Mannings, op.cit). Originally an oval the painting was adapted in the early twentieth century, sometime after the publication on Graves and Cronin's four volume catalogue (see literature), at which point the curtain on the right hand side was painted out and the composition extended to a rectangle. Illustrated in its adapted state in Mannings's 2000 catalogue raisonné, recent restoration has returned the painting to the original, removing the twentieth century over paint to reveal the curtain, and return it to its oval format.