Physical description
An oval head-and-shoulders portrait of a young girl in three-quarter profile.
Place of Origin
Great Britain, UK (painted)
Date
ca. 1820 (painted)
Artist/maker
Etty, William (RA), born 1787 - died 1849 (painter (artist))
Materials and Techniques
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Height: 43.1 cm estimate, Width: 33 cm estimate
Object history note
Bequeathed by John Jones, 1882. Farr (1958) suggests that this may be the portrait of Miss Wallace painted in 1820 and exhibited at the Society of Arts in 1849. A variant canvas is owned by the RA.
Historical context note
This painting is similar to contemporary works by Sir Thomas Lawrence, with whom Etty studied.
Descriptive line
Oil Painting, 'Innocence: Head of a Young Girl', William Etty RA, ca. 1820
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Parkinson, R., Victoria and Albert Museum, Catalogue of British Oil Paintings 1820-1860, London: HMSO, 1990, p. 85
The following is the full text of the entry:
"ETTY, William, RA (1787-1849)
Born York 10 March 1787, the son of a baker. Apprenticed to a printer at Hull, moved to London 1805, entered the RA Schools 1807 and studied with Sir Thomas Lawrence. Early works were mainly portraits and nude studies; his first large figure composition was 'The Coral Finder' (1820). Exhibited 138 works at the RA between 1811 and 1850, and 77 at the BI 1811-47. Travelled abroad in 1815/6, 1822, and 1830, principally to Paris and Italy. Elected ARA 1824, RA 1828. A retrospective exhibition was held at the Society of Arts 1849. Died York 13 November 1849. His studio sale was at Christie's 6-10 and 13-14 May 1850. Most admired in his lifetime for his large mythological subjects, but now perhaps more appreciated for his less finished and smaller studies of the nude.
LIT: A Gilchrist Life of William Etty 2 vols, 1855; W Gaunt and F G Roe Etty and the Nude Leigh-on-sea 1943; D Farr William Etty 1958
Innocence: Head of a Young Girl
498-1882 Neg L898
Canvas, oval, 43.1 x 33 cm (17 x 13 ins)
Jones Bequest 1882
Farr dates the painting to about 1820 on stylistic grounds, and suggests it is the portrait of Miss Wallace painted in 1820 and exhibited at the Society of Arts in 1849. It is similar to works by Sir Thomas Lawrence, with whom Etty studied, such as the portrait of the Calmady sisters (exhibited at the RA 1824; now Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York).
A variant canvas, 39.4 x 34.3 cm (15½ x 13½ ins), is owned by the RA; a similar painting 42 x 32.4 cm (16½ x 12¾ ins), was sold at Christie's 28 April 1933 (87), as 'Lawrence', 'Head of a Lady, with white decollete dress'.
PROV: ?C W Wass (see Exh: below); ?Henry Wallis, his sale Christie's 17 November 1860 (127, 'Innocence') bought by the dealer Richard Colls £13; bequeathed by John [ones to the museum 1882
EXH: ?Society of Arts 1849 (LXI, 'Portrait of Miss Wallace', lent by C W Wass)
LIT: Farr no 195, p172, repr pl 11b"
Materials
Oil paint; Canvas
Techniques
Oil painting
Subjects depicted
Innocence
Categories
Paintings
Collection code
PDP
