The Collection of Studies

The artist wrote, 'A wise artist invites his model's criticism. He loses nothing and often gains, though occasionally the response may be shattering'. He continued, 'I have two particularly sharp critics, my admiral friend, John, and my model Cecilia. The second has an even sterner streak than the first. She threatens to get a rubber stamp made with the intention of marking anything she considers dubious in these reports of mine with the accusatory title word FIB in violet ink' (see Sir William Russell Flint, R.A., catalogue for the Royal Academy Diploma Gallery exhibition, London, 1962, pp. 24 and 110).