Lot Essay
The artist belonged to the Dicksee clan of painters, being the daughter of Thomas Francis Dicksee (1819-1895), best known for his Shakespearian subjects, and the younger sister of Sir Frank Dicksee (1853-1928), who became President of the Royal Academy. Margaret exhibited regularly at the RA from 1883, as well as at the Society of British Artists in Suffolk Street, but her career was cut short by her death at the comparatively early age of forty-five. She specialised in historical genre, favouring the eighteenth century and tending to focus on the early lives of her heroes - The Child Handel, The Early Days of Swift and Stella, The First Commission of Thomas Lawrence, etc. Her style mirrors that of her more famous elder brother, and, like him during his early career, she was an accomplished illustrator (examples in Witt Library file).
The present picture was exhibited at the RA in 1892 and illustrates the well-known story that (Sir) Joshua Reynolds was in love with Angelica Kauffmann. He certainly referred to her as 'Miss Angel' in his note-book (hence the picture's title), and there is other supporting evidence; but she soon realised that nothing would come of the matter and in November 1767, a year after meeting Reynolds, she contracted a disastrous marriage with the bogus 'Count de Horn' (see Lady Victoria Manners and Dr G.C. Williamson, Angelica Kauffmann, R.A. 1924, pp.21-3). The story was the subject of a historical novel, also called Miss Angel, by Anne Thackeray Ritchie, which was published in 1875 and no doubt helped to inspire the picture. The following extracts are taken from a rather gushing account, illustrated by the picture itself, which appeared in the Art Journal in 1897:
'Here we are in the studio of the great portrait-painter, Sir Joshua (then Mr.) Reynolds. We can fix the very day, the 10th July, 1766, the month and year when Princess Caroline Matilde, poor unhappy lady, was wedded to Christian, King of Denmark. London is full to overflowing, but here in quiet little Leicester Square all is tranquil. One carriage only stands at the artist's door; it has brought the two ladies we see, a matron and a young girl. They have an introduction from my Lord Marquis of Exeter, one of the largest patrons and worst judges of Art in England; and Mr. Joshua, who dearly loves a lord, is hat-in-hand to my Lady Wentworth and her protégée the young artist, Angelica Kauffmann.
Poor Angelica! most unhappy of all unhappy women. Who can read her story without tender compassion for her blighted life and wasted hopes? This day, however, there is no trace of the shadow that is to fall upon the girl's young life. Her face, all sunny and smiling, turns towards the Maestro as he expounds the picture on the easel - a sunny, bright, girlish face; no shadow here of the shame and the sorrow in store for this young and gifted creature ...
Angelica was a coquette all her lifetime. She had lovers in her old age, while in her youth her path was strewn with the victims to her charms. That she wished to captivate Sir Joshua there can be no doubt; that she did so to a certain extent is equally certain. Sir Joshua, having weathered many a siege, was not likely to be caught by even Angelica's fascination and apparent simplicity. His mention of her in his private diaries shows, however, great kindliness towards her, as well as some underlying and undoubtedly tender feeling, as when he says fiori, as if to remind himself to send her a posy. There is no reason whatever to suppose he went beyond such trifling attentions, neither would it be likely that Anglica would have concealed it, had he ever made her a definite offer of marriage. She mentions him in her letters to her father continually: "He is one of my best, my kindest friends, and is never done praising me to everyone. As a proof of his admiration for me, he has asked me to sit for my picture to him, and in return I am to paint his."
Angelica's biographer, Rossi (no doubt informed by her friends), is persuaded that Reynolds held a deep admiration for Angelica's talent and entertained for her a far more tender feeling than mere admiration. This opinion has been adopted by all German biographers, as well as novelists. They cling to the notion that Reynolds was refused by their countrywoman. Miss Thackeray, in her delightful story, makes the master go on his knees to a "Miss Angel", a girl young enough to be his daughter. But this is the license of a story-teller, and has no real substantiation in fact...
We have wandered a long way from our original starting point, and have only now to draw attention to the delicacy and charm of Miss Margaret Dicksee's production. To her it seems to have been a labour of love, for she, like all of us, loves Miss Thackeray's "Miss Angel".
We know the date when this visit to Reynolds' studio took place, from a letter to her father, dated July 12, 1766 wherein Angelica writes: "I have been to visit several studios, but there is none to compare with that of Mr. Reynolds'. He has a peculiar method; he has a light pencil (penello volante) which produces a wonderful effect in light and shade."
The other lady in the picture (she of the big hat and equally big fan) is Lady Wentworth, who was daughter to Ralph Milbanke and wife to Sir Butler Cavendish Wentworth.'
One or two details in this account are incorrect. The visit to Reynolds' studio in fact took plan on 30 June 1766, six days after Angelica Kauffmann had arrived in London with her friend Lady Wentworth. This lady, who had taken a great liking to Angelica, persuaded her to come to England and undertaken to introduce her to society, had lost her husband, Sir Butler Cavendish Wentworth, in 1741. She was now married to John Murray, His Majesty's Resident in Venice, but by courtesy retained her first name and style.
The present picture was exhibited at the RA in 1892 and illustrates the well-known story that (Sir) Joshua Reynolds was in love with Angelica Kauffmann. He certainly referred to her as 'Miss Angel' in his note-book (hence the picture's title), and there is other supporting evidence; but she soon realised that nothing would come of the matter and in November 1767, a year after meeting Reynolds, she contracted a disastrous marriage with the bogus 'Count de Horn' (see Lady Victoria Manners and Dr G.C. Williamson, Angelica Kauffmann, R.A. 1924, pp.21-3). The story was the subject of a historical novel, also called Miss Angel, by Anne Thackeray Ritchie, which was published in 1875 and no doubt helped to inspire the picture. The following extracts are taken from a rather gushing account, illustrated by the picture itself, which appeared in the Art Journal in 1897:
'Here we are in the studio of the great portrait-painter, Sir Joshua (then Mr.) Reynolds. We can fix the very day, the 10th July, 1766, the month and year when Princess Caroline Matilde, poor unhappy lady, was wedded to Christian, King of Denmark. London is full to overflowing, but here in quiet little Leicester Square all is tranquil. One carriage only stands at the artist's door; it has brought the two ladies we see, a matron and a young girl. They have an introduction from my Lord Marquis of Exeter, one of the largest patrons and worst judges of Art in England; and Mr. Joshua, who dearly loves a lord, is hat-in-hand to my Lady Wentworth and her protégée the young artist, Angelica Kauffmann.
Poor Angelica! most unhappy of all unhappy women. Who can read her story without tender compassion for her blighted life and wasted hopes? This day, however, there is no trace of the shadow that is to fall upon the girl's young life. Her face, all sunny and smiling, turns towards the Maestro as he expounds the picture on the easel - a sunny, bright, girlish face; no shadow here of the shame and the sorrow in store for this young and gifted creature ...
Angelica was a coquette all her lifetime. She had lovers in her old age, while in her youth her path was strewn with the victims to her charms. That she wished to captivate Sir Joshua there can be no doubt; that she did so to a certain extent is equally certain. Sir Joshua, having weathered many a siege, was not likely to be caught by even Angelica's fascination and apparent simplicity. His mention of her in his private diaries shows, however, great kindliness towards her, as well as some underlying and undoubtedly tender feeling, as when he says fiori, as if to remind himself to send her a posy. There is no reason whatever to suppose he went beyond such trifling attentions, neither would it be likely that Anglica would have concealed it, had he ever made her a definite offer of marriage. She mentions him in her letters to her father continually: "He is one of my best, my kindest friends, and is never done praising me to everyone. As a proof of his admiration for me, he has asked me to sit for my picture to him, and in return I am to paint his."
Angelica's biographer, Rossi (no doubt informed by her friends), is persuaded that Reynolds held a deep admiration for Angelica's talent and entertained for her a far more tender feeling than mere admiration. This opinion has been adopted by all German biographers, as well as novelists. They cling to the notion that Reynolds was refused by their countrywoman. Miss Thackeray, in her delightful story, makes the master go on his knees to a "Miss Angel", a girl young enough to be his daughter. But this is the license of a story-teller, and has no real substantiation in fact...
We have wandered a long way from our original starting point, and have only now to draw attention to the delicacy and charm of Miss Margaret Dicksee's production. To her it seems to have been a labour of love, for she, like all of us, loves Miss Thackeray's "Miss Angel".
We know the date when this visit to Reynolds' studio took place, from a letter to her father, dated July 12, 1766 wherein Angelica writes: "I have been to visit several studios, but there is none to compare with that of Mr. Reynolds'. He has a peculiar method; he has a light pencil (penello volante) which produces a wonderful effect in light and shade."
The other lady in the picture (she of the big hat and equally big fan) is Lady Wentworth, who was daughter to Ralph Milbanke and wife to Sir Butler Cavendish Wentworth.'
One or two details in this account are incorrect. The visit to Reynolds' studio in fact took plan on 30 June 1766, six days after Angelica Kauffmann had arrived in London with her friend Lady Wentworth. This lady, who had taken a great liking to Angelica, persuaded her to come to England and undertaken to introduce her to society, had lost her husband, Sir Butler Cavendish Wentworth, in 1741. She was now married to John Murray, His Majesty's Resident in Venice, but by courtesy retained her first name and style.