'My first Attempt from Nature'

Details

William Powell Frith, R.A. (1819-1909)
'My first Attempt from Nature'
signed, inscribed and dated 'This is the first attempt in oil by W.P. Frith/and given to Walter Frith by his Papa/W.P. Frith/Feb 24th 1866.' and further inscribed, by the hand of Walter Frith, the artist's son 'And by me to/H.L. Gregory/July XIX:95/Walter Frith.' (on the reverse)
oil on canvas
11½ x 13½ in. (29.2 x 34.3 cm.)

Provenance

Given by the artist to his son, Walter Frith, 24 February 1866, and by him to H.L. Gregory, 19 July 1895.

Literature

W.P. Frith, My Autobiography and Reminiscences, 1889, p. 35.

Lot Essay

In his autobiography Frith records: 'My first attempt from nature still exists. It consists of a brown jar, a wicker Florentine oil bottle, and an old inkstand'. After spending two years at Henry Sass's School of Art studying drawing, Frith returned to learn how to paint in oils. His delight in the new medium was immediate and before long he announced to Sass that he would 'copy no more' from antique models. Although Sass refused to let him paint a head from nature he did allow him to paint this still life.

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