Sir William Charles Ross R.A. Exquisite Pencil Portrait Study of Lady Georgiana De Tabley wearing pendant earrings, long guard chain and an Irish harp brooch with crown top. Pencil on wove card, ink inscription with sitter and artists details dated 1837. 16.9 by 22 cms. Provenance: Christies London 15/06/1971 Lot 75.
Georgiana Maria Leicester Lady De Tabley 1794-1859 was a celebrated beauty and a somewhat notorious English aristocrat. The wife of John Leicester 1st Baron de Tabley. They married in 1810, residing at the Leicester country estate Tabley House in Cheshire, where they raised two sons. Following Lord de Tabley's death in 1827, Lady Georgina formed a close relationship with her late husband's nephew, The Reverend Frederick Leicester, who had recently joined the household as Chaplain. Their controversial decision to marry in 1828, at a time when Aunt-Nephew unions were prohibited by the Church of England, ignited scandal but did not permanently damage Lady Georgiana's standing among the aristocracy. She retained the title of Lady De Tabley until she died in 1859.
Sir William Charles Ross R.A 1794-1860. Miniature-painter of Scottish descent. The son of artists, from the age of thirteen he studied at the RA Schools and from 1814 was assistant to the miniaturist Andrew Robertson. He established a large and extremely successful practice and was a favourite of Queen Victoria and her circle. He won several medals at the Society of Arts and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1809 to 1859. Queen Victoria first sat to Ross in November 1837 and he was appointed Miniature Painter to the Queen a month later. Ross produced over fifty miniatures for the Queen and Prince Albert between 1836 and 1860. He was knighted in 1842.