
Thomas Seaman
Specialist, Head of Sale
This auction has ended. View lot details
Sold for £8,187.50 inc. premium
Our 19th Century & Orientalist Paintings specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialist
Specialist, Head of Sale
Provenance
Charles E. Luton, Birmingham, probably acquired directly from the artist.
Private collection, Ireland.
Sale, Bonhams, Knightsbridge, 19 November 2008, lot 7.
Private collection, UK. Purchased from the above sale.
Charles Luton purchased paintings by Langley between 1895 and 1918 and so it is likely that Luton acquired the present lot directly from the artist.
The present probably dates to circa 1906-07; the sitter (wearing a distinctive bobble hat) featured in other works by Langley such as Thinking it out (sold in November 1906 to Hirst-a private collector-for £74). The present lot is an inverse composition of Thinking it out although it is smaller and has less surrounding detail. Langley occasionally painted versions of successful pictures which were sometimes mirror images. In some cases Langley made the basic charcoal working study by rubbing off from the original painting. Both original and mirror image studies exist which suggests that Langley would consider both and then decide the most satisfactory version to work from.
A smaller version of Thinking it out was sold in June 1906 for £27 with the seller being described as 'Germany'. This may be the version which Luton acquired.
We would like to thank Roger Langley for his kind assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.