Who is The mysterious woman in the bedroom?

Lady Valerie Meux's bedroom at Theobalds Park, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire. Source: Theobald's Park, Herts, Catalogue,  May 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 23, 35, 26 1911, Waring & Gillow Ltd, Auctioneers

Is this photograph evidence of an unknown and now probably lost portrait of Lady Valerie Meux, of Theobalds Park, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire

I would like to draw your attention to the painting hanging on the extreme left. It shows, I think, a woman lying in bed. Below is an enlargement of that painting. Unfortunately, the resolution is very poor. As far as I know, the original photograph no longer exists. These images were scanned from the catalogue for the public auction which took place at Theobalds Park, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, in May 1911.

Why do I think this is Lady Meux? Well, the only evidence I have is two rather extraordinary photographs of Valerie Meux in bed—something a respectable Victorian woman would never do. I do not know when or where they were taken.

This first photograph is from the archives of Lowewood Museum. Held in her left hand is a piece of paper, probably a letter. Valerie gazes off into the distance, perhaps contemplating its contents. She also wears a wedding ring, indicating the photograph was taken after her marriage in 1878.

The second photograph (below) is very similar: the same pose, the letter, the same wistful look. The bed looks a little different, but this could be due to a slightly different angle from which the photograph was taken. However, the pillow looks the same, I think.

This photograph was published in The San Francisco Examiner on Sunday, 3 November 1912. It illustrated an article publicising the memoirs of Derrick Warner William Westenra, 5th Baron Rossmore, a long-standing friend of Valerie, who knew her both before and after her marriage. His book, Things I Can Tell, was described by the newspaper as an “unblushing revelation of the loose standards of conduct and intemperance that prevail in the highest circles of the British aristocracy.”

Valerie was described as “a very notorious Bohemian Lady,” and the caption reads: “Lady Meux was a notorious woman before her marriage, and this extraordinary photograph of her, taken in bed, was her favourite picture.”

If this were Valerie’s favourite photograph of herself, then maybe—just maybe—it was used as the basis for the painting hanging on her bedroom wall.

A convincing argument? If not, who is the mystery woman in Lady Meux's bedroom?

Let me know what you think.

Thanks to:

John Clark, Local Studies Officer, Enfield Local Studies & Archive, London Borough of Enfield

Sources

Theobald's Park, Herts, Catalogue*, * May 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 23, 35, 26 1911, Waring & Gillow Ltd, Auctioneers, 181, Oxford Street, London W. Held by Enfield Local Studies & Archive, London Borough of Enfield.

Lowewood Museum, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire.

The San Francisco Examiner, Sunday, 3 November, 1912.

Rossmore, Derrick Warner William Westenra, Baron, Things, I Can Tell, Eveleigh Nash, London 1912.