Dante Gabriel Rossetti

In the possession of the sitter and her husband Mr James Fernandez;
Offered to the National Gallery by Mrs Fernandez in 1915 but declined;
Georgina Fernandez until her death in 1930;
Christie's, 16 May 1930, lot 4 as Portrait of Mrs James Fernandez, bought by 'Spencer' (possibly Walter T. Spencer the bookdealer);
Christie's, 22 July 1949, lot 94 as Head of Christina Rossetti, the Artist's Sister, bought by Charles J. Sawyer (bookdealer), until at least 1954;
Bought c.1955 by Hyman Oriel and thence by descent;
Ms Robin Confino;
Weschler's, Washington, 22 May 1999, lot 110;
Sotheby's, 1 July 2004, lot 275;
Private collection

W. Sharp, Dante Gabriel Rossetti: A Record and a Study, 1882, appendix, no. 349;
Joseph Knight, Life of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1887, bibliography, no. 260;
William Michael Rossetti, Dante Gabriel Rossetti as Designer and Writer, 1889, pg. 283;
H. C. Marillier, Dante Gabriel Rossetti: An Illustrated Memorial, 1899, appendix, no. 367;
Julian Moore and Christopher Whittick, 'Depictions of Georgina - Aspects of Social Identity in Two Portraits by Dante Gabriel Rossetti', in The British Art Journal, spring-summer 2005, vol. VI, no. 1, pp. 1, 16, repr. p. 13

STRUCTURE This picture is in good condition. The paper is a little discoloured and slightly cockled. There are a few small stains which are visible in the catalogue illustration. There is a pinhole upper right, close to the edge of the paper (also visible in the catalogue illustration). FRAME This picture is contained in a modern wooden frame and under glass with a clean mount. For more information regarding this picture please contact the Victorian & Edwardian Pictures Department on +44 (0)207 293 5718.
"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."

Georgina Fernadez (1841-1930) was born in Blackman Street in Brighton, the second of three illegitimate children of Helen Parsons and Henry Bignell. Helen died in 1843 only weeks after giving birth to her third child and Georgina was left alone without mother, father or siblings (her sister and infant brother both died) and was raised by an uncle, George Parsons. It was probably in Brighton in the mid 1850s that she met Sarah Cox, later Rossetti's mistress and model (known by the name Fanny Cornforth), who lived nearby. It would seem that after the death of her aunt and uncle, Georgina moved in with Fanny and Timothy Cornforth on Tenison Street in Lambeth; they were all living under the same roof by 1860. Rossetti first drew a pencil drawing of Georgina in about 1863 (Tate) around the time she met the actor James Fernandez, whom she married in April 1871 after his successful season at the Theatre Royal in Brighton.