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Lot description
Frank Cadogan Cowper, British 1877-1958- The late night read; watercolour and bodycolour on paper, signed and dated 'F.C. Cowper 1904' (upper right), 34.1 x 27 cm. Provenance: Private Collection, UK. Note: Cowper was a prominent artist and illustrator, sometimes referred to as 'the last Pre-Raphaelite', known for his elaborate and richly-painted historical scenes. The present work is something of a departure from the evocative female figure studies for which he is best known, such as, for example, his watercolour of 'Rapunzel singing from the tower' which sold at Christie's, London, on 12 December 2019, lot 109 (£137,500). Despite the contemporary setting of the present scene, however, the form of death wielding a scythe above the unwitting figure below is an clear reference to the 'Vanitas' paintings which enjoyed particular popularity in the 16th and 17th centuries, further emphasising Cowper's preoccupation with Renaissance painting, and its direct influence on his own compositions.