Description
Signed, coloured chalk
Dimensions
17cm x 23cm (6.75in x 9in)
Footnote
Provenance:Frost & Reed, London 1946
Note:
One of the most celebrated British watercolourists of the 20th century, Sir William Russell Flint is known for his remarkable technical skill and precision. Born in Edinburgh in 1880, Flint was first introduced to painting by his father before developing his skills at Banks and Co. Printers where he enrolled in a six year apprenticeship as a lithographic draughtsman.
Although he is known for his watercolours he also painted in oil and tempera, and produced etchings. Flint was a member of the Royal Academy, and served as president of the Royal Watercolour Society for twenty years from 1936. He was further recognised in 1947, with a knighthood for his services to art, and later a solo exhibition at the Royal Academy.
Painting in several countries including France, Italy, Switzerland and Scotland, Flint was captivated by the distinctive and unique character of the distant lands. However, his foremost fascination was the female form. This manifested in a wide range of depictions; spanning from flamenco dancers to his picturesque gypsies and languorous nudes.
Today his work is exhibited in numerous institutions around the world including the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Flint's interest in the representation of the female form intensified during a trip to Rome in 1912. His skilfully rendered paintings of the sensual nude were in great demand during his time. Seated Nude is a chalk drawing dating from 1908 in which Flint effortlessly captures the models striking beauty. This exquisite drawing perfectly encapsulates Flint's ongoing interest in feminine grace, imbuing the picture with a sense of sensuousness and mystery. The figure is simultaneously revealing and concealing herself, which is almost mirrored in his technique, with the soft shading of her body juxtaposed against the hard lines of the drapery tangled around her.