Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys

Abbott & Holder, London, c.1964;
Sotheby’s, London, 6 November 1995, lot 215, purchased privately after the sale by a descendant of the artist

Betty Elzea, Frederick Sandys 1829-1904 - A Catalogue Raisonné, 2001, p.237, cat.no. 3.9., illustrated p.61, colour plate 37

STRUCTURE This drawing is in excellent condition with no visible damages. The picture is clean and ready to hang. Frame The drawing is contained in a gilt frame decorated with egg-and-dart mouldings and under glass.
"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."

Speculation and mystery surrounds this drawing. It has been in the ownership of the artist's family for the last twenty years. It is clearly highly-finished and was probably intended as an independent work of art rather than a study for a projected painting. It has been known as In Haste and Woman with a Gauze Scarf, but both appear to be provisional and modern titles. The position of the head and the gossamer scarf in Miranda of 1868 (private collection) are similar to the present picture but the closest comparison can be drawn between the present drawing and Perdita, a beautiful painting of c.1866 (Collection of Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber). In Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, Perdita is the daughter of King Leontes and Queen Hermione and was ‘especially associated with flowers’ as Betty Elzea has pointed out. It is therefore possible that Sandys returned to the subject of Perdita in 1870 for a half-length composition based upon the earlier head.

The features strongly resemble those of Mary Emma Jones (1845-1920), an actress who appeared on stage as ‘Miss Clive’ in the 1870s with varying degrees of success. She became Sandys’ principal muse and lover in 1868 and bore him twelve children.  She has been identified as the model for Perdita and Miranda also for the various versions of Proud Maisie of 1868 and Love’s Shadow of 1867, Helen of Troy of 1867-1869 and Danae of 1867. It is unlikely that Sandys would have used a different model for such a large drawing made when his passion for Mary was at its strongest. In early 1870 Mary appeared on stage in a minor role in Tom Taylor's adaptation of Twixt Axe & Crown a play describing the early years of Princess Elizabeth. Her fifteenth-century-style costume from the play may be the gown she is wearing in the present drawing made in 1870.