Sir William McTaggart RSA RSW,
Scottish 1835-1910-
Sketch;
oil on board, bears inscription Sketch. William MacTaggart RSAS by William MacTaggart RSA. Got by Dr Blatherwick from Joseph Henderson on the reverse, 24.2x32.5cm (unframed)
Provenance: the family of the painter Joseph Henderson (1832-1908); niece of A S Hartrick, according to the label on the backboard of the frame
Note: Although it is neither signed nor dated, this work is consistent with McTaggart's style and subject-matter from the later 1860s and early 1870s. It may well depict the artist's first wife, Mary Brolochan Holmes, perhaps with their daughter Annie (born in 1864), both of whom often served as models for McTaggart's work. McTaggart's second wife, after Holmes's death in 1884, was Marjory Henderson, daughter of the Joseph Henderson named in the inscription. Henderson's connection with Charles Blatherwick can be explained by the fact that both men were prominent figures in the Scottish art world, with both serving as President of the Glasgow Art Club on separate occasions.
With thanks to Per Kvaerne for his extensive help in the cataloguing of this piece.Please refer to department for condition report