Male Nude by William Frederick Witherington (1785-1865). Oil on board, 8 1/2 x 23 inches; inscribed with “Witherington/ 1843/ FebY/ No. 6.” Collection: the Maas Gallery. [Click on image to enlarge it.]
“Ordinarily a landscape painter, Witherington may have shared Royal Academy life classes with William Etty, whose influence is powerfully evident here. Etty was two years behind Witherington at the RA schools, but notoriously attended the life class into old age. Here the model is in the classic ‘Dying Gaul’ posture, after the Antique” (Commentary from Maas Gallery site).
The Maas Gallery, London has most generously given its permission to use in the Victorian Web information, images, and text from its catalogues. The copyright on text and images from their catalogues remains, of course, with the Maas Gallery. readers should consult the gallery website to obtain information about recent exhibitions and to order their catalogues. [GPL]
Last modified 18 May 2014