1890-1896
Owner: British Musuem
Illustrated: Brangwyn Portfolio 79 (40×29.5cm)
Related works: Ashmolean Museum: Study of young woman seated holding a fan, 1944.44, 39.2×26.8cm (15.4×10.6in), pen and brush in red watercolour over black chalk and charcoal, monogram t.c. in pencil and monogram in red watercolour b.r. Prov: Brangwyn gift 1944
Fitzwilliam: Studies of seated girl with fan looking at bull fight, 2634, 41.9x54cm, red and black chalk on paper, laid down, partially squared. Inscriptions: monogram in red chalk twice; also ’17 1/4×15 1/2 ht’ b.l. in pencil; and next to thumb nail sketch b.r.: ‘Looking into Bull Ring’. Prov: Brangwyn gift 1943
Studies of a girl, 2641, 41.7×29.6cm, red chalk with graphite and black chalk on paper, laid down. Inscriptions: monogram in red chalk, c.l.; name across sheet centre: ‘CONSTNCE TITZ’; b.l. in black chalk: ‘Siryon'[?] and in red chalk: ‘plate’; in left margin in graphite: ’14 1/2×9′. Prov: Brangwyn gift 1943
Victoria Art Gallery, Bath: Studies of girl with pot (1943.99), 37x45cm (14.6×17.7in), charcoal on white paper, squared. Exh: Prints and Drawings by Frank Brangtwyn, Bath, 1983 (Cat 2)
Wolverhampton Art Gallery: Figure Study (Woman with Fan), W291, 10.3×8.8cm (4×3.4in), sanguine on cream paper. Prov: Brangwyn gift 1950/51
The sketches of girls with eleborate coiffures and dressed in either eighteenth century or Spanish national costume all appear to be related and were possibly intended for a watercolour or oil of females looking into a bull ring, possibly similar in composition to In a Turkish Garden. The sketches are unusual in that Brangwyn rarely portrayed attractive looking females and was not noted for accuracy in depicting historical or national costumes.
The idea for the work (not known to have been completed) probably came to Brangwyn when he visited Spain in the spring of 1890, during his visit with Arthur Melville in 1892, or his visit with Alfred East in 1896. Brangwyn visited Spain with his wife Lucy in the spring of 1911, but I’d place the drawings as pre 1900.