Thomas Francis Dicksee
(British, 1819-1895)
Lily Langtry as Viola in 12th Night, 1866
oil on canvas
signed and dated middle right and verso on inscription
21 3/8" x 14 1/4"

Catalog Note:
This portrait shows renowned socialite and celebrated actress Lily Langtry in the role of the protagonist Viola from William Shakespeare's play, Twelfth Night, 1623.

Inscribed on paper verso, partially illegible:
"I'll do my best.
To woo your lady: yet
aside, a barful strife.
Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his wife."
Twelfth Night, Act I, Scene I
T.F. Dicksee

Frame: 29 3/8"h x 22 1/2"w x 2 3/4"d
Surface dirt. Localized craquelure. Abrasion from frame at perimeter edges. Two minute 1/16” x 1/16” areas of paint loss at left edge. There is an older applied varnish under which cleaning was focused on the general area where the figure is. There is a consistent fluorescence from the varnish around the figure when examined under UV light and, while it is hard to determine with absolute confidence and without removing the varnish, it does not appear that there are any signs of inpainting. Good condition. Frame has a small spot of paint lower-left corner.