Provenance:

Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, August 18, 2002.

Note:

Eleanor Butler (1739-1829) and Sarah Ponsonby (1755-1831), two upper-class Irish women, were considered a couple, living together for 50 years at a Gothic cottage called Plas Newydd in Llangollen, Wales. Affectionately known as the "Ladies of Llangollen", they were known in royal and literary circles, entertaining figures such as Sir Walter Scott, Lord Byron, the Duke of Wellington, and even Josiah Wedgwood.

Moderate deposits of surface dirt and dust. Minor scuffs and abrasions along extreme edges of box. Light craquelure in painted area. Minor indentations to wood with some associated paint loss, notable at upper left. Under UV: no apparent evidence of inpainting. Additional images available upon request.

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