Lot 123: Stephen Thomas Ward (1912-1963), Portrait of a

Stephen Thomas Ward (1912-1963), Portrait of a lady, signed and dated 1952, pastel, 50 x 34cm.; 19.75 x 13.5in. * Stephen Ward was one of the central figures in the 1963 Profumo affair which rocked the Conservative Party. Ward invited the married British cabinet minister and MP John Profumo to a party and introduced him to a showgirl named Christine Keeler. Profumo's subsequent sexual relationship with Keeler and his false statements to the House of Commons regarding its nature led to Profumo's resignation. As a portrait artist, he had members of the Royal Family and politicians sit for him, including Prince Philip, The Duke and Duchess of Kent and Lord Snowdon.