The Beautiful Englishwoman (La Belle Anglaise)

Sir Francis Seymour Haden British

Not on view

Seymour Haden was the unlikely combination of a surgeon and an etcher. Although he pursued a very successful medical career, he is mostly remembered for his etched work as well as for his writings on etching. He was one of a group of artists, including James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) and Alphonse Legros (1837–1911), whose passionate interest in the medium led to the so-called etching revival, a period that lasted well into the twentieth century. The extolling of etching for its inherent spontaneous qualities reached its pinnacle during this time. While the line of the etching needle, Haden wrote, was "free, expressive, full of vivacity," that of the burin was "cold, constrained, uninteresting," and "without identity."
Portrait of woman, head and shoulders, with her face turned to right; with long loose hair over her shoulders and a felt hat with feathers. The lady in the portrait could be one of the daughters of Viscount Hawarden.
"Trial Proofs: (b) With much dry-point, especially below the hand. Very few imprssions. Colls. Lenox Library, New York; Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo; Harris B. Dick; H. A portrait of one of the daughters of Viscount Hawarden, sketched when starting for a ride,"
[Source: Harrington, p. 43]
"There is some question about the subject of the portrait. Harrington states that it is one of the daughters of the Honourable Cornwallis Maude, Lord de Montalt, fourth Viscount Hawarden and Clementina Elphinstone, Lady Hawarden,, sketched ' when starting for a ride.' However, there is some reason to believe that it is in fact Clementina, Lady Hawarden herself; this possibility is supported by Lord Hawarden and the inscription on the mat of one of the BMPD impressions.
State II (Db, 'a few impressions', Hb). Burnishing of etched work on the wrist and forearm and it now appears that she has a white cuff. Additional drypoint work below the hand and in the hair."
[Source: Schneiderman, p. 191]

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