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The Portfolio

Artist: Walton, Edward Arthur, RSA · 1860-1922

The Portfolio

The work depicts the artist's daughter Cecile Walton aged 13, and shows her wearing the same white dress and richly embroidered red jacket in which…

The work depicts the artist's daughter Cecile Walton aged 13, and shows her wearing the same white dress and richly embroidered red jacket in which she is depicted in an earlier canvas of about 1901-02 titled "Girl with Red Jacket". This work was first shown by Walton at the RSA AX 1902 and later that year as "The Red Jacket" was shown in the 38th Exposition of the Museum Voor Schone Kunsten in Gent, from where purchased by the Salon of Gent for their permanent collection where it remains.(illus MacSporran, col plate 11, p.61 and discussed pp64-66)

According to Fiona MacSporran in her 1987 monograph on Walton (RSA Library L.2016.0190) (page72) the present portrait ("The Portfolio") was originally a full length when it was exhibited in 1905 at the International Society of Sculptors Painters and Gravers 5th Exhibition which opened in London's New Gallery before being shown at Manchester City Art Galleries. The Manchester City News of 1905-04-08 in its review of that exhibition described it as a; "....young girl, in extremely short starched white frock...with white stockings and black shoes, turning over some black and white engravings.....It is quite a grown up face on childish shoulders, and this has a rather uncanny effect."

Walton had cropped the canvas to three-quarter length by the time it was accepted by RSA General Assembly as his Diploma Collection deposit in 1906.

Walton appears to have re worked the painting in 1908, see letter in his Deceased Member File dated 1908-04-17 from Walton to the RSA "I wish to work/ on the picture again as/ I have found the picture/ unfinished since I have seen it in the Diploma/ Gallery."