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Bhanavar The Beautiful

Watercolour
1894 (painted)
Artist/Maker

This dramatic image of a woman dancing amidst writhing serpents was designed to illustrate George Meredith's The Story of Bhanavar the Beautiful, one of a collection of pseudo-oriental tales entitled The Shaving of Shagpat, an Arabian Entertainment (first edition, 1856). Bhanavar was the beautiful, innocent daughter of a Caucasian amir, who, having gained possession of the magic jewel (seen here adorning her forehead), became an evil Queen of the Serpents. The original monochrome version was commissioned from Sandys in 1864 by the publishers Chapman and Hall as the frontispiece for their second edition of the tales (1865). This watercolour, the second version, was painted by Sandys at Meredith's request, for him to present to a friend. It was reproduced in The Artist, Winter Number, 1896, and was also exhibited at the Royal Academy's Winter Exhibition in 1905. Book illustration formed a major part of Sandys's output. He contributed to several contemporary magazines, as well as to picture books and to editions of poetry, ballads, myths and legends. Originating in Norwich, he worked in London from 1851, where he was influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, particularly Dante Gabriel Rossetti and his images of luxuriant female figures.

Object details

Category
Object type
TitleBhanavar The Beautiful (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Water- and bodycolour over pencil
Brief description
Watercolour, `Bhanavar The Beautiful', 1894, by Frederick Sandys
Dimensions
  • Height: 30.8cm
  • Width: 20.1cm
Styles
Credit line
Purchased with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, Shell International and the Friends of the V&A
Object history
According to Rodney Searight: - ; `Bt.fr. Abbott & Holder/Sotheby's Oct.1966, £11.'
[Mrs. Walter Palmer; Sir Walter Palmer Bart. MP in 1905; C.W. Carey, sold at Christies 6 March 1911 (75), bt. by [?]Baynes for 6.16.6; Christie's, as The Girl Snake-Charmer (7)18/10/66.]
Historical context
Reproduced in the The Artist, Winter No., November 18 1896, p.25. An illustration for George Meredith's The Shaving of Shagpat, an Arabian Entertainment. Probably done from the engraving, not the original drawing of 1864, which must have been either in monochrome or perhaps in red chalk, and which has not been traced. Sandys' original version of Bhanavar The Beautiful was commissioned by Chapman and Hall as a frontispiece for their second edition (1865) of Meredith's The Shaving of Shagpat.
The copy made by Sandys in 1894 was done so at Meredith's request. For details of this commission and other information about both versions, see Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Frederick Sandys, exhibition catalogue, 1974, pp.48 and 49 (cat. nos. 293, 294, 302 and 303). See also Searight Archive. It was exhibited at the RA, Winter Ex.1905 (298), lent by Sir Walter Palmer.
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceGeorge Meredith, The Shaving of Shagpat, first published 1856.
Summary
This dramatic image of a woman dancing amidst writhing serpents was designed to illustrate George Meredith's The Story of Bhanavar the Beautiful, one of a collection of pseudo-oriental tales entitled The Shaving of Shagpat, an Arabian Entertainment (first edition, 1856). Bhanavar was the beautiful, innocent daughter of a Caucasian amir, who, having gained possession of the magic jewel (seen here adorning her forehead), became an evil Queen of the Serpents. The original monochrome version was commissioned from Sandys in 1864 by the publishers Chapman and Hall as the frontispiece for their second edition of the tales (1865). This watercolour, the second version, was painted by Sandys at Meredith's request, for him to present to a friend. It was reproduced in The Artist, Winter Number, 1896, and was also exhibited at the Royal Academy's Winter Exhibition in 1905. Book illustration formed a major part of Sandys's output. He contributed to several contemporary magazines, as well as to picture books and to editions of poetry, ballads, myths and legends. Originating in Norwich, he worked in London from 1851, where he was influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, particularly Dante Gabriel Rossetti and his images of luxuriant female figures.
Collection
Accession number
SD.911

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Record createdApril 1, 2008
Record URL
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