Study of a seated, partially draped male figure, c. 1850?

Unidentified British Artist (Formerly Attributed to William Etty R.A.) and Formerly attributed to William Etty RA (1787 - 1849)

RA Collection: Art

An oil study of a seated, partially draped male figure. The model wears a headdress or hat and drapery wrapped around his waist. These are almost identical to those worn by the model identified as John Mongo 'The Punka-walla' in a study by Thomas Faed https:// www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/ 24067 in the National Galleries of Scotland. Faed made his drawing at the Trustees' Academy in Edinbugh where Mongo modelled in the 1840s. This work is likely to be by William Quiller Orchardson (see below) who also attended the Trustees' Academy from 1847. Mongo is thought to have been of Indian or Pakistani heritage.

This drawing was previously considered to be the work of William Etty. However, it appears that this group of oil studies were mistaken for Etty's work at the Academy at an early date but that they probably came into the collection in 1919 with works by and owned by the Scottish painter William Quiller Orchardson. Although they do not particularly resemble Orchardson's later work there are similarities with drawings and paintings he produced as a student.