Not currently on display at the V&A

Sketch for the oil painting 'Private and Confidential'

Watercolour
1875 (made), 1876 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Joseph Clark painted many oil paintings of children, which were generally well received by the Victorian public, and he was a regular exhibitor of childhood subjects at the Royal Academy. Before he started his oil paintings, he normally made a series of precise drawings and expressive watercolours of the chosen subject. He frequently used members of his own family as models. Here he has probably used one of his daughters and her friend in this scene of young girls exchanging confidences in the schoolroom. Clark then developed this sketch into an oil painting which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1875. On the back of this sketch is a watercolour study for the oil painting 'A Cheap Entertainment' exhibited there in 1876.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Sketch for the oil painting 'Private and Confidential' (assigned by artist)
  • Sketch of detail for oil painting 'A Cheap Entertainment' (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Pencil and watercolour on paper
Brief description
Sketch for the oil painting 'Private and Confidential', 1875. On the back, sketch of detail for oil painting 'A Cheap Entertainment'. Pencil and watercolour, Britain, 1876.
Physical description
Sketch of two young girls in a schoolroom, holding their slates, exchanging confidences. On the back, a watercolour sketch of an old lady, seated.
Dimensions
  • Height: 36.2cm
  • Width: 27.9cm
Style
Credit line
Given by Rosemary Chiles
Object history
Given by Rosemary Chiles, 2004
Production
Attribution date 1875 refers to date of exhibition of the sketch on recto; attribution date 1876 refers to date of exhibition of the sketch on verso.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Joseph Clark painted many oil paintings of children, which were generally well received by the Victorian public, and he was a regular exhibitor of childhood subjects at the Royal Academy. Before he started his oil paintings, he normally made a series of precise drawings and expressive watercolours of the chosen subject. He frequently used members of his own family as models. Here he has probably used one of his daughters and her friend in this scene of young girls exchanging confidences in the schoolroom. Clark then developed this sketch into an oil painting which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1875. On the back of this sketch is a watercolour study for the oil painting 'A Cheap Entertainment' exhibited there in 1876.
Collection
Accession number
E.947-2003

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Record createdJuly 2, 2004
Record URL
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