Pedestal for "Venus" after Canova, c. 1822/1823

[1] Deepdene was rented from Lord Francis Hope by Lilian Warren Price Hammersley [c. 1860/1865-1909], beginning in 1893 until her death there in 1909. She was the widow of the 8th duke of Marlborough, and later the wife of Lord William Beresford, and this fact accounts for the Duveen prospectus for the sculpture, which included this pedestal, stating incorrectly that the sculpture was "from the Collection of the late Duchess of Marlborough." See letter of 7 February 1978, from Douglas Lewis, NGA curator of sculpture, to Miranda Strickland-Constable, curator at the Leeds City Art Gallery, England, in NGA curatorial files.

[2] The sculpture and pedestal were stock number 33147 in the records of Duveen's London branch, and they were given this description in their first entry, for September 1912: "1 life size white marble statue of Venus on pedestal. Signed A. Canova. from the Colln the late Duchess of Marlborough. Blenheim Palace." The source was noted as "C. Davis," who was the dealer Charles Davis (1849-1914), and the cost was 1200 pounds. The sculpture appears again in the next stock book, with nearly the identical description, listed under September-October 1912. See: Duveen Brothers Records, accession number 960015, Research Library, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles: London Stock Book no. 19, August 1911-September 1912, box 69, reel 25; and London Stock Book no. 20, August 1912-September 1913, box 70, reel 25; copies in NGA curatorial files. The sculpture does not appear in London stock book numbers 17, 18, or 21.