
Thomas Seaman
Specialist, Head of Sale
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£15,000 - £20,000
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Specialist, Head of Sale
Provenance
The Cecil French collection.
Presented to Mr Jack Redford on the occasion of his marriage 9th October 1948 by his colleagues at The National City Bank of New York, London.
Thence by descent, private collection, UK.
Exhibited
London, Royal Academy, Winter Exhibition, 1942 (according to label attached to the backboard).
Frederic Cayley Robinson was a British painter and illustrator renowned for his meticulous draughtsmanship and symbolic imagery. Early in his career, he worked in the Newlyn style, producing seascapes in a naturalistic manner. After moving to Paris in 1891, his work began to reflect the influence of the Symbolist movement, particularly the Nabis group. His style evolved from Impressionist tendencies towards a Pre-Raphaelite approach, and like many artists of his generation, he later travelled to Florence to study the Old Masters, adopting techniques such as tempera painting. Each of these artistic encounters left a lasting imprint on his work.
Robinson's academic training is evident in the precision of his line and form. He often depicted solitary figures most often women or children set in rural or pastoral landscapes. His use of harmonious, muted colour schemes lent these allegorical themes a sense of calm rather than dramatic intensity. The Little Shepherdess embodies these qualities, with its lone figure in a tranquil pastoral setting, rendered in a subdued palette that enhances its quiet, contemplative mood.