John Duncan Fergusson R.B.A.

Acquired directly from the Artist by the Father of the present owner
Thence by descent

Original canvas. There are some canvas bar marks around the edges. There is some craquelure across the paint surface. There is some paint shrinkage to various spots in all four quadrants. There is a small abrasion near the right edge in the upper right quadrant. There is a fleck of paint loss in the background in the upper right quadrant, and a fleck below the flower in the lower left quadrant. There is some old frame abrasion with a few flecks of resultant paint loss along the edges. Under ultraviolet light, there appear to be a few flecked retouchings to the aforementioned spots of frame abrasion, and two tiny flecked retouchings in the upper left corner. Held in a painted wood frame in fair condition. Please telephone the department on 020 7293 6132 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
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The sitter in this portrait is the Irish American artist Anne Estelle Rice, whom Fergusson met after settling in Paris in 1905. For a while, the couple shared a close relationship both emotionally and artistically. In her biography, Living Paint: J. D. Fergusson, Kirsten Simister writes that, "Rice's vivacious personality provided a good match for Fergusson. She shared his curiosity and love of adventure..." Captivated by her beauty, intellect and talent, she was the inspiration for many of Fergusson's paintings during this period.

About this time from 1907, Fergusson's paintings display a boldness quite separate from the fluid, Whistlerian brushwork prior to this period. In The Blue Dress, the paint is applied both heavily and forcefully and a confidence emanates from Rice's open pose and direct gaze. She fills the picture space and the lack of depth heightens the confrontation between sitter and viewer. Fergusson was well aware of different developments in Paris at this time, and in the changing approaches to his paintings during this period, he demonstrates a willingness to absorb and respond before forming his own distinct path.