- 3
John William Waterhouse, R.A., R.I.
Description
- John William Waterhouse, R.A., R.I.
- Vain Lamorna, A Study for Lamia
- inscribed on the stretcher: Vain Lamorina
- oil on canvas
Provenance
William Henry Henderson, 9 Princes Gardens, Westminster and West Woodhay House in Newbury, remaining with him until his death in 1931, when it probably passed to his grandson Johnny Henderson, by whom sold Christie's, 21 December 1950, lot 17 to 'Adam';
Christie's, 8 June 1951, lot 120 to 'M. Morris';
Private collection
Literature
Catalogue Note
Vain Lamorna was one of the pictures bought by ‘Harry’ Henry William Henderson (1862-1931) an avid collector of Waterhouse's work, who also owned Ariadne of 1898 (private collection), Windflowers of 1902 (private collection), Phyllis and Demophoon (present whereabouts unknown) and Isabella and the Pot of Basil both painted in 1907 (private collection). Henderson’s brothers Alexander Lord Faringdon and Sir Brodie Haldane Henderson had made a fortune financing railroads across Argentina and Spain and were among Waterhouse’s most avid and prolific collectors, owning at least fifty of his paintings including St Cecilia and almost his entire output from the years between 1903 and 1914. Waterhouse also made portraits of Lady Violet Henderson, Mrs A P Henderson, Mrs Philip Henderson and Mrs Arnold Henderson. It seems that Waterhouse may have first met the Henderson family around 1900 when he painted Miss Margaret Henderson, Alexander’s daughter, to mark the occasion of her marriage to Captain Charles Schreiber.
Following Harry Henderson’s death in 1931 most of the paintings by Waterhouse were bequeathed to his son and to his grandson Johnny and the dispersal of the collection began around 1948 when Johnny Henderson sold fifteen oil paintings by Waterhouse at Christie’s. Among the pictures that can be identified are Isabella and the Pot of Basil and various large oil sketches for finished paintings. In 1950 three further pictures were sold by the Henderson estate, Ophelia said to have been exhibited at Burlington House in 1909, a sketch for The Love Philtre of 1914 and the present Vain Lamorna.