Sir Frederick William Burton, R.H.A., R.W.S. (1816-1900)
Lot 19

Sir Frederick William Burton, R.H.A., R.W.S. (1816-1900)

Portrait study of a young lady, half-length, facing to the left, probably for 'Cassandra Fedele'

Closed15 June 2011

Price Realised

GBP 6,250

More Information

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Sir Frederick William Burton, R.H.A., R.W.S. (1816-1900)
Portrait study of a young lady, half-length, facing to the left, probably for 'Cassandra Fedele'
pencil and black chalk, on buff paper
21 x 14¾ in. (53.3 x 37.5 cm.)

Specialist note

The present drawing is almost certainly a preparatory sketch for Burton's watercolour Cassandra Fedele (1869, Dublin City Gallery) for which there is a more finished chalk drawing in the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.

Cassandra Fedele was a famous Venetian poetess and musician of the sixteenth-century, and it is believed that Burton, who was heavily influenced by the rich colour and historical themes of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, executed this watercolour in response to Rossetti's painting Beata Beatrix (circa 1864-70, Tate, London)