William Powell Frith, RA (British, 1819-1909)
Nell Gwyn
signed and dated 'W.P.FRITH 1869' (lower left)
oil on canvas
105 x 87.5cm (41 5/16 x 34 7/16in).
Footnotes:
Provenance
Private collection, UK.

Exhibited
London, Royal Academy, 1869, no. 291.

The full title when exhibited at the Royal Academy was as follows:

Nell Gwyn.
Taking her place in the pit, and with her back to the orchestra, and selling oranges and pippins with pertinent wit, gratis to liberal fops who would buy the first and return the second with interest. As Rochester assures us, there was a 'wondering pit' in the presence of this smartest and most audacious of orange girls.

Born near Ripon in Yorkshire, William Powell Frith studied at Sass's Academy and the RA Schools. During the 1840's Frith was a member of The Clique with Richard Dadd, Augustus Leopold Egg and John Philip.

The subjects of his early works are predominantly historical and literary, often taken from Scott, Dickens and Moliere. He is best known however for his depictions of 'Modern Life' which he turned to, most notably, in works such as Ramsgate Sands which he painted after a visit to the seaside town in 1854 (Royal Collection) and Derby Day painted in 1858. These panoramic snapshots of life in Victorian times are characterized by a multitude of figures all beautifully observed and drawn. There are numerous small incidents and stories which make up the overall narrative; this ability to tell a story defined Frith's art throughout his career and made him one of the most celebrated artists of his generation.

The present lot was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1869 from where it was purchased, and it has remained in the same family ever since.

The canvas has been lined and provides a stable support. There is some light surface dirt. There is fine, stable craquelure across the work. To the centre of the upper framed edge, the edge of the original canvas can be seen and there are some small flakes of paint loss. Inspection under UV light reveals only a small number of scattered, minor lines of retouching.