19th Century British Watercolour & Pastel Portrait of a Beautiful Young Woman Carrying a Basket, Signed by William Lucas 1880

This 19th century British portrait depicts a beautiful young woman with a seashore background. The amazing detail and subdued tonal colouration are masterful. The woman with a kerchief covering a beautifully painted lace rimmed bonnet looks beyond the viewer having a “far away” expression in her eyes as she is carrying a large heavy wicker basket strapped to her shoulders, probably to collect drift wood.  Signed by W. Lucas and dated 1880 to the lower right. Beautifully presented in a late 19th Century gilt frame with a raised second layer of  high relief foliate details. The oval guilt wood matt highlights, like a ship’s window, a moment or a glimpse of the genre focusing on the life struggles of the working class.

William Lucas (1840-1895) painted primarily portraits, figures and human genre subjects in watercolours and pastels on paper.  He was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolors in 1864, a position he held until 1882.  Unfortunately due to his declining health, he eventually gave up painting altogether. He exhibited at the Royal Academy (15 times), Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street (12 times), and the New Watercolour Society, among others. He lived ay t 92 Clifton Hill, St John’s Wood,  London.

Dimensions: Image Oval height 14″ x width 11″ , Frame height 20.25″ x width 17.5″ x depth 2.5″