Philip Alexius de László (1869-1937)
Philip Alexius de László (1869-1937)

Portrait of Cicely Wigan, née Cicely Margaret Bagot

Details
Philip Alexius de László (1869-1937)
Portrait of Cicely Wigan, née Cicely Margaret Bagot
signed and dated 'de László/1930. August' (lower left)
oil on canvas
43 3/8 x 35 5/8 in. (110.2 x 90.5 cm.)
Provenance
By descent in the family of the sitter to the present owner.
Literature
Laib L16476 (764) / C28 (37), as Mrs. Wigen [sic].
National Portrait Gallery Album, London, 1929-31, p. 36.

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Clare Keiller
Clare Keiller

Lot Essay

In 1930 de László succeeded Walter Sickert as President of the Royal Society of British Artists and he travelled extensively to fulfil the demands of many patrons. He spent most of August with his family at home but still found time to complete the present portrait before going via Antwerp and France to Geneva in September to paint the Hungarian statesman Count Albert Apponyi, then leader of the Hungarian delegation to the League of Nations.

Cicely Margaret Bagot was born on 22 January 1878 in Roorkee, Bengal, India, the second daughter of Colonel Charles Hervey Bagot (1847-1911), who was serving with the Royal Engineers. Cicely was sent to England to be raised by her great-uncle and aunt at their home in Mortlake, Surrey. On 2 February 1909 the sitter married Edgar Clare Wigan (1876-1980), a successful hop merchant and they lived at Bradstone Brook, Shalford, near Guildford.

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

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