A letter dated 1924, relating to the provenance of this painting accompanies the lot. It states in part: The Sargent picture "Lady Horner's Daughter" was painted by Sargent at least fifteen years ago. It came through Mrs. C. Lewis Hind of London direct from the family, within the last three years./Mrs. Hind took it to Sargent for signature about two years ago. I spoke to him about the picture in 1922 and he again recalled painting it./It was painted at Lady Horner's house./Cicely Horner (1883-1972) was the daughter of the wealthy merchant and art patron Sir John Horner and his wife Frances. The family was involved with the Pre-Raphaelites, and in particular Edward Burne-Jones. Frances Horner was a model for a number of Burne-Jones' paintings. It appears as if he had a very close relationship with the family, producing his only known book plates for both the mother and daughter. According to the catalogue raisonne Burne-Jones wrote in an undated letter to Mrs. Horner "Of course I felt a bitter pang when you told me Sargent was going to paint from Cicely - who is mine - who was made to fulfil [sic] a dream of mine - I suffered a great pang -" (Ormond p. 161).  

Sargent painted one other nearly identical portrait of Cicely Horner at Mells Park, which is number 371 in the catalogue raisonne and is owned by the Denver Art Museum.  
(Bonhams & Butterfield) 
 

Notes: 
 
Provenance: 

Private Collection, Vancouver, Washington  
From the Collection of Paul Meade, 1966  
Grand Central Art Galleries, New York, New York 
From the Collection of Mrs. C. Lewis Hind, London England 
Collection of Sir John and Lady Frances Horner, Mells Park, Somerset, England  
Grand Central Art Galleries, New York, New York Collection of Sir John and Lady Frances Horner, Mells Park, Somerset, England Private Collection, Vancouver, Washington 

Literature:  

Richard Ormond and Elaine Kilmurray. John Singer Sargent Portraits of the 1890s, Complete Paintings Volume II. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002. No. 372. pp. 161-163. 

Sale: 

Sold Bonhams & Butterfield; Wednesday December 10, 2003; Simultaneous Auction in San Francisco and Los Angeles;  Session I,  Lot 6016; $175,000  

 
• See the year in review  1889