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Young Girl - Study for Dick Whittington and His Cat
Young Girl - Study for Dick Whittington and His Cat

Young Girl - Study for Dick Whittington and His Cat

Artist (Edinburgh, Scotland, 1782 - 1850)
Datec.1836
Mediumred, black and white chalk on paper
ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings
DimensionsOverall: Height: 16.2 cm, Width: 18.1 cm
Frame: Height: 55.6 cm, Width: 40.5 cm
AcquisitionPurchased in 1960.
CopyrightOut of copyright - CC0
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDAG003380
About MeThis chalk drawing is a preparatory study for the oil painting "Dick Whittington and His Cat" (1836). An inscription on the reverse of the painting tells us that "The picture represents that moment in the popular story of Whittington, at which he unknowingly lays the foundation of his fortune by parting with his cat." Studies for three of the subjects at the centre of the action are held in the Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Collections: the Cook, Alice Fitzwarren and a babe in arms.

The compositional similarity between the baby girl and the cat that Whittington cradles suggests a comparable bond of affection. But if we look closely at the two pairings, it is the cat that is "mother" and Whittington that is "child". Although endearing as a chalk study, in the painting the infant is transformed into an emblem of Whittington's boyish vulnerability, dependency and sense of loss.
More About Me
Allan is best known for his Russian scenes, having spent some 9 years in Russia
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Head of a Young Man Glancing Down - Study for The Battle of Waterloo
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Head Of A Man Looking Upwards by Sir William Allan
Head of a Man Looking Upwards - Study for Heroism and Humanity
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Head of a Cavass - Study for Slave Market, Constantinople
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Head of a Bearded Young Man - Study for The Stolen Child Recovered
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Head of a Turk - Study for Slave Market, Constantinople
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