Country Life
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The Hon Lois Sturt by Ambrose McEvoy
‘Wealthy Lois Sturt had a brief career as an actress, making three films, all forgettable. Thereafter, she became a cheerleader for the Bright Young People, who cut a swathe across London.
‘Her next public appearance was at Marylebone Court. She had devised an all-night drive-by treasure hunt and been summonsed for narrowly avoiding a policeman. “But I had to get there before some-one found the next clue!” she wailed.
‘In 1926, she ran over and killed a pedestrian. Neither incident changed her lifestyle in the slightest and, in 1937, she died suddenly in Budapest. All this lay before her when she sat for this vivid portrait. Perhaps the sparks of explosive colour indicated what was to come?’