Richard Cosway R.A.

wearing a white dress, with a green sash and ribbons, a wreath of oak leaves in her hair, gold and enamel frame, the reverse with glazed hair border, and enamel reserve set with the initial B below a Marquess's coronet

Anonymous sale, Christie's London, 13 November 1973, lot 53;
Anonymous sale, Christie's London, 26 June 1979, lot 73

Ivory ground. This work is overall in excellent condition and reveals a pleasing range of colours. There are minor foxmarks along the right hand margin, which do not detract from the overall appearance. The blue border of the frame has suffered minor losses, mainly in the lower left quarter.
"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."

Lady Susan Stewart was one of the sixteen children of John, 7^th Earl of Galloway. She married, in September 1791, George Spencer, Marquess of Blandford, later 5^th Duke of Marlborough (1766-1840). Horace Walpole, writing about the event to Miss Mary Berry, commented 'it is to be so instantly, that her Grace, his mother, will scarce have time to forbid the banns'. Conjugal felicity was not to be their lot. In 1801 the Marquess's relationship with a married woman, Mrs Sturt, was exposed; in 1812, Boyle's Court Guide listed them at different addresses in London, and by 1818 the Marquess, by then Duke, had commenced a relationship with Matilda Glover, which was to continue until his death. The debts he incurred in creating a magnificent garden and an exceptional library at his residence Whiteknights, near Reading, only aggravated the problems. The Duchess's stoical behaviour throughout these travails was no doubt helped by a mind that, as her son-in-law, David Pennant, wrote 'is naturally a very strong one'. Her talent for botanical painting, evinced by an album of watercolours conserved at Blenheim, may also have provided passing relief.

This miniature was used as the basis of a drawing by George 'Perfect' Harding, captioned 'Susan Duchess of Devonshire' (illustrated Soames 1987, fig. 32).