The Forgotten Word
The Forgotten Word
William Mulready exhibited a painting titled 'The Forgotten Word' at the Royal Academy in 1832. In 1834, an engraving of that painting by Charles Rolls, showing a young woman with a book and child on her lap, was published in 'The Amulet' annual magazine.
The present drawing would seem to be a study for the engraving, but the latter does not feature the boy standing before the young woman. It is unclear whether the boy appeared in the painting exhibited at the Academy. Mulready commonly made small pen and ink studies for compositions, both for his own purposes and for the engraver. The detail with which this one was drawn suggests it may have been made for the engraver to translate to the plate, so the absence of the male in 'The Amulet' remains a slight puzzle. Nonetheless, this is a beautifully drawn small composition by Mulready.
Dimensions:
c.1832
Pen, ink and wash
There is a small hole beneath the feet of the male figure
RELATED ITEMS
