William Edward Frost, R.A.

Sotheby's, date not known, where bought by Sir David Scott as part of a lot with Alfred Elmore's The Smile (lot 66 of this sale)

STRUCTURE The reverse of the panel has a vertical split running through the centre, not visible to the paint surface. PAINT SURFACE Surface dirt throughout. There are spots of loss to the paper in the upper background area, painted over. ULTRAVIOLET UV light reveals old spots of retouching to the arms, body and one spot to the face. Some scattered spots elsewhere. FRAME Held in a decorative gold painted frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Frost is the most well-known of William Etty's followers and like Etty, his ouevre is chiefly of portraits and studies of the nude, often of mythological subjects. A talented student at the Royal Academy Schools, he was awarded a gold medal in 1839 for Prometheus Bound by Force and Strength and four years later he won £200 for his design for a decoration at the Houses of Parliament depicting Una Alarmed by Fauns and Satyrs, an illustration to Edmund Spenser's Fairie Queen. He became a Royal Academician in 1870, presenting Nymph and Cupid as his Diploma work. The popularity of his sylvan and bacchanalian paintings based upon the writings of Milton and Spenser, led to Queen Victoria's purchase of a painting entitled Una in 1847.

In Greek mythology Terpsichore, was the Muse of the Dance and mother of the alluring sirens. She is usually depicted seated and playing a lute, as she is here in Frost's painting. The fashionable 1850s hairstyle gives the painting a contemporary element which also adds a note of eroticism as the girl depicted is clearly a Victorian model in the guise of a classical figure.