A study for The Clothes Line

The completed version of The Clothes Line was exhibited at the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours at its 92nd Summer Exhibition in 1879. Ruskin praised the picture, but felt that a red hankerchief to the right of the picture, which does not appear in this study, introduced a jarring note into the composition. It is possible that the study was made during the summer of 1878, when the Allinghams were staying at Shere, Surrey.
We are grateful to Annabel Watts for her help in preparing this and the following Allingham catalogue entries.