Philip Alexius de László, PRBA, 
Hungarian / British 1869-1937- 

Mrs Stephenson Clark, née Agnes Maria Bridger, 1906; 

oil on board, bears old printed label 'The late Mr. P.A. de / Laszlo's Will Trust. / Master Philip de Laszlo.' attached verso, 36 x 28.3 cm. 

Provenance: 
In the possession of the artist on his death; 
Stephen de László, his second son; 
Christie's South Kensington, 13 June 1997, lot 70. 
Private Collection, UK. 

Literature: 
DLA062-0019, letter from Dr Louis Colville Clarke to de László, 13 May 1906. 
Studio Inventory, 1938, p.76 (410): Study of an Elderly Lady, seated, black dress with purple drapery. 
The de László Archive Trust, 'The Catalogue Raisonné of Works by Philip de László (1869-1937) [online]', no.9045. 

Note: 
De László spent six weeks in England in early summer 1906, painting General Sir Francis Lloyd [De László catalogue raisonné no.12017] and his wife [no.11994], whom he had met in Vienna in February. It is not known how he became acquainted with Agnes Clarke but a letter from her son, Doctor Louis Clarke [no.4701], indicates that they had already been in contact and the artist suggested a date of 15 June to begin the present portrait. The artist made these preparatory oil studies for his significant portraits to help decide on composition and balance of colour before painting directly on the canvas. 

The present picture remained in the artist’s studio until his death in 1937 and was unidentified in the studio inventory compiled by his executors. The sitter is shown seated half-length slightly to the right, full face and looking to the viewer, her hands on her lap holding a fan, a purple stole round her shoulders. The finished portrait is no.4080 in the Philip de László catalogue raisonné. 

We are grateful to Katherine Field for writing the catalogue entry for this portrait, which will be included in the Philip de László catalogue raisonné, currently presented in progress online: www.delaszlocatalogueraisonne.com (no.9045). 

An image of the finished portrait is displayed under image 4.