Place of Origin
Great Britain, UK (probably, painted)
Date
1835-1845 (painted)
Artist/maker
Etty, William (RA), born 1787 - died 1849 (painter (artist))
Materials and Techniques
oil on millboard laid on panel
Dimensions
Height: 63.5 cm estimate, Width: 68.6 cm estimate
Object history note
Given by Charles T. Maud, 1871
Taken from 'Somersetshire parishes; a handbook of historical reference to all places in the county'.
'Bathampton
Charles Theobald Maud of the Manor House, farmer, horse-breeder, and collector of pictures. Left Harrow 1808-9. Bal. Col. Oxf. BA 1818.'
Maud was also the cousin of W J Broderip, the eminent naturalist, who owned William Holman Hunt's 'The Hireling Shepherd' (City of Manchester Art Galleries). Maud originally commissioned a replica of the sheep in the background of this work, but Hunt persuaded him to commission a new piece, 'Our English Coasts (Strayed Sheep)' (Tate Britain).
Descriptive line
Oil painting, 'The Deluge', William Etty, 1835-1845
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Parkinson, R., Victoria and Albert Museum, Catalogue of British Oil Paintings 1820-1860, London: HMSO, 1990, pp. 84-85
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
The Deluge
225-1871 Negs GJ836, 69198
Millboard laid on panel, enlarged on all sides, 63.5 x 68.6 cm (25 x 27 ins)
Given by Charles T Maud 1871
Dated by Farr to about 1835-45 on stylistic grounds. This kind of 'bather' picture was favoured by Etty particularly in the 1840s. In the 1907 catalogue, it is described as being signed on the back, and dated 1815; this is presumably a reference to the two autograph letters which were given with the painting in 1871. The letters, now almost illegible, are from Coney Street, York, (where in 1845 Etty visited a house which he bought the following year), to ?W H Ealy, and dated 'Monday 18th Dec 1815' and 'Shortest Day' respectively. The letters were transcribed by Basil Long earlier this century:
My Dear Sir,
I have just completed your Picture and if it turns up 'a Trump' it has proved itself worth the trouble and expense of its extension [see medium description above] - [-?] when it is dry enough to travel, am I to send it to you or Mr. Peel? Pray tell me -
Yours truly, Wm Etty
Mr Dear Sir,
Your half note safely arrived this morning. Mr Andrews [-?] Mr Wass the Engraver from London and the cognoscenti here are delighted with the Deluge Figure and efforts will I think be made to get it - but I will tell you candidly - you will be a Donkey if you part with it that is flat - as we say in Yorkshire - it is a fine thing - tho I say it so take care of it - and dont fool it away.
Yours sincerely, Wm Etty
PROV: Probably Charles Oddie, his sale, Christie's 18 March 1854 (115, 'The Deluge: a female figure, drawn and coloured with grand effect, and 3 ALs.s [autograph letters] of Etty related to it'), bought in £31 10s; William Wethered, his sale, Christie's 27 February 1858 (60, 'The Deluge: female lying on a rock'), bought by the dealer Richard Colls £24 3s; not in the C T Maud sale, Christie's 21 May 1864, but presented by him to the museum 1871
REPR: C H Collins Baker British Painting 1933, pl 120"
Materials
Oil paint; Millboard; Panel
Techniques
Oil painting
Subjects depicted
Figures; Women; Nudes
Categories
Paintings
Collection code
PDP
