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Lot Essay
This energetic pastel sketch is a preliminary study for Moore's Battledore, 1868-70 (The Minneapolis Institute of Art, inv. 2003.145). In both the study and painting, the female figure holds a badminton (battledore) racquet in one hand, and rests a shuttlecock on her shoulder with the other. In the oil, the model is draped in classical robes, while in the study, she is nude, highlighting the creative process that Moore embarked on in preparing his highly finished Aesthetic oil paintings.
The artist's use of brown paper, as in the present lot, was typical of his development of a subject before committing to painting in oil. This use of brown paper was shared by Moore's friend and associate James McNeil Whistler (1834-1903) as a support for his pastel drawings.
The artist's use of brown paper, as in the present lot, was typical of his development of a subject before committing to painting in oil. This use of brown paper was shared by Moore's friend and associate James McNeil Whistler (1834-1903) as a support for his pastel drawings.