Sheila in the scullery
Artist: Swan, Douglas Litterick · 1930-2000
The woman depicted was Sheila Pratt, the artist's then girlfriend according to Axel Wendelberger in an e-mail to RSA Collections curator Sandy Wood on 2020-01-22 who had been given the information by the artist's sister, also named Sheila, whilst researching Douglas Swan.
On removing the work from its frame to be photographed for an article on Swan in a German publication on 2020-09-23, RSA Collections Curator Sandy Wood discovered an earlier version of the same subject drawn on the verso face of the support.
The earlier version is unsigned and much less finished than the present work. The woman is wearing a short sleeve off-the-shoulder top and her hair is more obviously tied up on top of her head. There is a jug to the right of the top shelf and the bowl of eggs is on the second shelf. The spatula on the frying pan is at a different angle, and the most noticeable difference is in the pose of the woman. Her left hand still appears to rest on her left waist, but her torso is seen almost side on with her left elbow pointing directly towards the viewer.
© Restricted
Additional details
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Object data
Date c.1954 Accession 1993.158 Materials Support paper Dimensions Sight
51.2cm x 37.5cmMedia Ink
Gouache -
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