The one problem with the robe was that the bodice was cut off the shoulder, unlike the other peeress gowns. The 11th Duke and Duchess had to seek a dispensation from the Queen to allow Deborah to wear it. The bodice had been clearly altered and the neck line is typical of the 1830s, so it is thought that this dress was originally made for the 6th Duke’s sister, Lady Georgiana Cavendish, wife of the 6th Earl of Carlisle, to wear to the coronation of William IV in 1831.

RAFFAELE MONTI
THE VEILED VESTAL

On display in America for the first time ever will be one of Chatsworth’s visitors’ favorite objects: the Veiled Vestal by Victorian sculptor Raffaele Monti. Commissioned in Milan in 1846 by the 6th Duke of Devonshire – who was ahead of his time in recognizing the artist’s genius – this marble sculpture is now familiar to millions thanks to its star turn in the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

A virtuoso piece of illusionistic carving, the statue is made up of four sections of Carrara marble. It shows a veiled Vestal Virgin guarding the sacred flame. In Ancient Rome, the six Vestals were virgin priestesses whose lives were dedicated to the goddess Vesta. They were responsible for ensuring that the sacred flame in Vesta’s temple in the Forum was never extinguished. The Vestals’ duty was regarded as fundamental to the safety of Rome.
Partly due to Duke’s patronage and partly for political reasons, Monti moved permanently to London in 1848. His output became prolific and his veiled figures became very popular in Britain. His career was assured with the display of his sculpted veiled figures at the capital’s Great Exhibition of 1851 – including the present work.

LETTER SENT TO MARY CAVENDISH,
DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE,
BY JOHN F KENNEDY
21 SEPTEMBER 1944

One of the more poignant objects in the exhibition highlights aspects of the collection that relate directly to the lives of the Cavendish family. One such treasure is a deeply personal condolence letter from President John F Kennedy to the 10th Duchess, whose son – only recently married to the president’s sister Kathleen ‘Kick’ Kennedy – had been killed during World War II.

CANALETTO
VENICE: A VIEW OF SANTA MARIA DELLA SALUTE AND
THE ENTRANCE TO THE GRAND CANAL FROM THE PIAZETTA
&
VENICE: A VIEW OF THE DOGE'S PALACE AND
THE RIVA DEGLI SCHIAVONI FROM THE PIAZZETTA

A pair of exceptional paintings on copper panels by 18th-century artist Antonio da Canale, (called Canaletto) show views of Venice looking West and East from the Piazzetta by St. Mark’s. The copper support renders these classic sunlit Venetian scenes with increased luminosity. They belong to a small group of Canaletto’s views on copper painted dating to the late 1720s, and primarily sold to English patrons. The pair was last on view in New York 30 years ago, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s major Canaletto exhibition in 1989-90.
INSPIRED BY CHATSWORTH: A SELLING EXHIBITION
28 June – 18 September

Concurrent with the Treasures from Chatsworth exhibition, Sotheby’s is pleased to present Inspired by Chatsworth, a selling exhibition of paintings, drawings, jewelry, furniture and works of art, which draws its inspiration from the many ways in which Chatsworth has influenced the history of collecting and the formation of taste from the late-17th century right up to the present day.

The exhibition features works by various painters, sculptors, potters and draughtsmen who were patronized or collected by successive Dukes of Devonshire, including the rare violin trompe l’oeil by Jan van der Vaart, which is a version of the example at Chatsworth House, as well as the superb bronze sculpture of Mercury after a model by Giambologna, similar to the piece that is displayed in the Dome Room at Chatsworth. Works by major artists in the Devonshire Collection are also represented in our exhibition, most notably a monumental early masterpiece by Canaletto, a lively portrait of a man by Hals, a fine studio version of the Devonshire Rembrandt of a man in oriental costume (or King Uzziah), and even a contemporary portrait by Lucian Freud. Further works which exemplify the Chatsworth taste include a rare Madonna and Child with Saint Julian by the great Florentine mannerist Rosso Fiorentino, of which there are fewer than 30 known paintings by the artist.

Additionally, the show includes a selection of top quality decorative arts, such as a beautiful set of Meissen birds modelled by Kändler for the Japanese Palace at Dresden, fine pieces of 18th and 19th-century furniture, and, with the invaluable help of Adrian Sassoon, a wonderful array of modern decorative objets d’art and sculptures by contemporary artists such as Felicity Aylieff, Edmund de Waal, Pippin Drysdale, and Andrew Wicks, whose work is collected by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and are at Chatsworth today.
the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and are at Chatsworth today.