Oval, pencil and watercolour, 22.9cm by 27.9cm. Inscribed, signed and dated September 4th 1906 on the backboard.
Edith and David, Lord Burghley (1905-1981), were the the two eldest children of William, 5th Marquess of Exeter (1876-1956) and his wife Myra (1879-1973).
In the Burghley Archives, a letter from Edith Scannell, dated 18th August 1906, advises Lady Exeter that ‘she will be very pleased to undertake two drawings of a little boy and girl at a cost of 7 guineas the pair.’
Edith Scannell was noted for her portraits of children, which displayed a charming innocence and freshness and she exhibited widely, both in England and on the Continent.
