Wilkie made a series of nine sketches in remembrance of the lavish Tableaux-Vivants with scenes from Scott's novels which were held at Hatfield House on the sixteenth of January, 1833, three months after the death of Sir Walter Scott. The fête was presided over by Lady Salisbury and the Tableaux were selected by Lady Salisbury but devised by Wilkie and Lady Verulam, Wilkie concentrating on the arrangement of the scenes, and his partner on costume designs. Wilkie's help was enlisted on Lady Salisbury's behalf by the Duke of Wellington for whom Wilkie had recently executed Chelsea Pensioners Reading the Waterloo Dispatch. The drawings are sold with a letter from the Artist to the Duchess of St. Albans who must have been present during the festivities. The letter reads 'Her Grace the Duchess of St Albans./DW./Mr Wilkie presents his respectful/Compliments to the Duchess of St Albans/and begs she will honour him, by/accepting his/two Drawings though/very slight which accompany this, and by placing them in her Graces/very interesting collection./York Hotel/Feby 13^th 1833'.

For further information see the article by Francis Russell An Album of Tableaux-Vivants Sketches by Wilkie in Master Drawings, Spring 1972, pp. 35-38