Johann Heinrich Füssli, Henry Fuseli, R.A. (1741-1825)

Details
Johann Heinrich Füssli, Henry Fuseli, R.A. (1741-1825)

Three Heads of young Girls

inscribed and dated 'K.[Knavestoke or Kensington]. May - 15'; pencil, watercolour heightened with white (partly oxidized), watermark Britannia
12½ x 8in. (320 x 202mm.)
Provenance
Mrs Wainwright (according to the inscription by Miss Moore on the album page)

Lot Essay

This was on the last of the pages in Miss Moore's album inscribed by her 'Mrs Wainwright's'.

The heads appear to be of three different girls, and were perhaps done from memory; that at the top is fairly close to S.1685, dated by Schiff 1818. Professor Weinglass has suggested that the three girls may be lady Georgiana Nevill (d. 1835), third daughter of the 3rd Earl of Guildford, her mother Susan, Countess of Guildford (1771-1837), the eldest duaghter of Thomas Coutts and a great patron of Fuseli who died in her house on Putney Hill, and perhaps Sophia Busdett, granddaughter of Thomas Coutts (see lot 13).

Powell (1951, p. ) suggests that the use of 'K'' in Fuseli's inscriptions on a number of his drawing could indicate that the works concerned were drawn at Knavestoke in Essex, the country house of Lord Waldegrave hose son Lord Chewton Fuseli accompanied as tutor on his journey to Paris and Lyon in 1765-6; a mud earlier drawing of Aias is inscribed 'Knavestoke. 68'. Alternatively, it may stand for Kensington

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