Arthur Hughes (1832-1915)

Female head

Details

Arthur Hughes (1832-1915)
Female head
signed with monogram and dated '1864' (lower right)
oil on canvas
10 x 8 1/8 in. (25.4 x 20.6 cm.)
in the original frame

Provenance

George Rae (1817-1902), Redcourt, Birkenhead, by circa 1900, and by descent to his son,
Edward Rae (1847-1923) and his wife Margaret, née Leathart (1862-1936), and by descent to their son,
Charles Edward Leathart Rae (1883-1952), and by descent to his widow,
Mrs Muriel Rae (later Mrs Catto); and by descent to the present owner.

Literature

Catalogue of Mr George Rae's Pictures, Birkenhead, privately printed, circa 1900, no. 36.
L. Roberts, Arthur Hughes: His Life and Works, Woodbridge, 1997, pp. 85, 164-165, no. 70, illustrated col. pl. 50.

Brought to you by

Clare Keiller

ckeiller@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2729

Lot Essay

Both George Rae and James Leathart were significant patrons of Arthur Hughes who painted two family portraits of Maria Leathart and her children; Mrs Leathart and her Three Children, 1863-5 (Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle) and A Christmas Carol at Bracken Dene, 1878-9 (Private Collection). This sitter for this head study was probably the artist's wife, Tryphena Ford, and a comparable work of the same sitter wearing bluebells entwined around her wrist, In the Grass, circa 1864-5, is in the collection of Sheffield City Art Gallery.

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