Sir William Nicholson (1872-1949)

The model is wearing a fine grey woollen shawl, either knitted or crocheted but of such delicacy that it could probably be drawn through a wedding ring. Such shawls were made in Ireland and the northern isles of Scotland and were much sought after at this date (1910). With her dark hair hanging loose and her downcast eyes it would seem that this young girl must have a story to tell and the viewer looks for a narrative, seeking to find some clue in the landscape sketched out below. However for the artist the real interest lay in depicting the texture of the delicate shawl beneath which the girl's glossy dark hair and the material of her dress are partially visible. His palette is limited, with greys and blues predominating.

The Grey Shawl received considerable attention when it was first exhibited at the International Society Exhibition of Fair Women in May 1910, where it was shown together with The Blue Shawl (sold in these Rooms, 8 June 2001, lot 38). The latter depicts a young woman in profile, seen from the back, and wearing a rich blue woollen shawl partially draped over her bare shoulders. (It is not the same model but the works were hung in the same room and can be linked.) They were often discussed together, as in the Westminster Gazette (20 June 1910) where E.S. declared, '... each is a demonstration of a fine artistic personality, highly skilled, and absolutely unfettered by convention or alien influence.' The unidentified reviewer in The World (4 June 1910) wrote, 'Mr William Nicholson's two half-length's - 'The Grey Shawl' (16) and 'The Blue Shawl' (9) - are admirably placed on their canvas. In both we find the same intense interest in character which has marked Mr Nicholson's work from the beginning, that shrewd and humorous observation expressed in terms of deliberate weight and subtle harmony which makes Mr Nicholson's work not only delightful to the eye but fascinating to the intelligence.'

P.R.