Head of a woman, probably a study for a portrait of Violet Lindsay

George Frederic Watts RA (1817 - 1904)

RA Collection: Art

A portrait drawing of a woman with her face turned to the left in semi-profile. The same sitter is shown looking to the other side in another drawing in the RA Collection (04/584) which is labelled as a study from life '1881'. Both drawings are probably studies for one of Watts's portraits of Violet Lindsay (https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/violet-lindsay-13390/view_as/grid/search/keyword:watts-and-poverty-britomart-feathers-ariadne-paolo-bacchanale-violet--actor:watts-george-frederic-18171904/page/1).

Watts painted three portraits of Violet Lindsay (Marion Margaret Violet Lindsay) as well as one monochrome oil sketch which he deliberately left unfinished at the request of the sitter's father. The first painting was completed in 1879 and the last in 1881. Violet, daughter of Colonel the Hon. Charles Lindsay, was an artist and a member of the 'Souls'. She married the Hon. John Henry Manners (later Marquis of Granby and Duke of Rutland) in 1882.

According to Mary Seton Watts, the artist's wife, Violet's 'type of feature, the fine underlying structure, her beautiful colour and grace of movement made a great appeal to Mr. Watts'. In addition to the portraits, Violet Lindsay modelled for a number of symbolic works like 'Rehearsing a Tableau', 'A Reverie' and 'The Court of Death' (https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-court-of-death-97314/view_as/grid/search/keyword:court--actor:watts-george-frederic-18171904/page/1).

Further reading:

Veronica Franklin Gould ed., The Vision of G. F. Watts, exhib. cat, The Watts Gallery, 2004, cat. no. 42, p.61

Barbara Bryant, G. F. Watts Portraits - Fame and Beauty in Victorian Society, exhib. cat., National Portrait Gallery, London 2004, cat. no. 57, pp. 160-161