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Sir William Orpen RA RHA (1878-1931) THE FANCY DRESS BALL OF CANY inscribed with title lower left...

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Sir William Orpen RA RHA (1878-1931) THE FANCY DRESS BALL OF CANY inscribed with title lower left...
Sir William Orpen RA RHA (1878-1931)
THE FANCY DRESS BALL OF CANY
inscribed with title lower left
pen and ink drawing
25 by 20cm., 10 by 7.75in.
Provenance:
A gift from the artist to Sir William Rothenstein;
Thence by descent to Sir John Rothenstein;
Purchased from the Estate of Sir John Rothenstein by Mr & Mrs Herbert Schimmel;
’Life and Art of Toulouse-Lautrec’, Sotheby’s On-Line Auction, New York, March
14-April 4, 2001
Orpen spent the summer of 1900 in Cany, Normandy, in the company of fellow Slade
School artist Albert Rothenstein and the model Emily Scobel. They lodged at the
Hotel du Commerce. Scobel was at the time Orpen’s mistress and features in three
of his best-known early works: The Mirror, The Bedroom, and The English Nude.
This last picture was started in London and completed at Cany, with the hotel’s
canopy bed providing a suitable substitute for Orpen’s four-poster back in the
studio in London. In the present drawing, which accompanied a letter sent to
William Rothenstein (Albert’s older brother), Orpen portrays himself as an ugly
lecher, reclining naked on the bed, whilst Scobel parades in the manner of a
French prostitute. The identity of the two other men is uncertain, but may
depict Albert – also semi-naked, seated beside Orpen – and William, whom whilst
not actually present, seems to have been teasingly included, dressed rather
ludicrously as an Arab sultan.
€4,000-€5,000 (£2,800-£4,200 sterling approx.)