A study of a nude for 'A Nymph of the Stream'

Details

Sir Edward John Poynter Bt., P.R.A., R.W.S. (1826-1919)
A study of a nude for 'A Nymph of the Stream'
black and white chalk on brown paper, lightly squared for transfer
13 7/8 x 10 in. (35.2 x 25.4 cm.); and Figure studies by Frederick, Lord Leighton, P.R.A., R.W.S., (1830-1896) with studio stamp (L. 1741a), black and white chalk, on blue paper (2)

Provenance

Anonymous sale; Christie's, London, 4 June 1982, lot 53A.
Anonymous sale; Christie's, New York, 25 October 1996, lot 236.
with Julian Hartnoll, London.

Exhibited

New York, Shepherd Gallery, English 19th Century Pre-Raphaelite and Academic Drawings, Watercolours, Graphics, Paintings and Sculptures, Spring 1983, no. 80.

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 15% on the buyer's premium

Lot Essay

The present drawing is a study for the painting A Nymph of the Stream, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1907, no. 129. Minor changes were made to the painting after its exhibition, such as the inclusion of a cow-parsley plant behind the nude's back, additional torrents in the far distance and more foliage on the over-hanging tree. The title The Nymph of the Stream may also be a later invention, as there is little to suggest that she is a water-nymph, one of the immortal spirits of nature.

The present drawing clearly demonstrates Poynter's recognised skill in depicting the nude.

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