Ernest Crofts RA, Resting Napoleonic Soldier, Late 19th Century, Graphite Drawing for sale at Pamono

Description

An original late 19th-century graphite drawing, Ernest Crofts RA, Resting Napoleonic Soldier.A sensitive sheet of original pencil sketches by one of the leading military-historical painters of the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, Ernest Crofts RA (18471911). Likely preparatory material for the artist’s highly detailed works in oil, these drawings shows not only Crofts’s fine draughtsmanship, but also his intimate knowledge of military costume and his meticulous attention to detail. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Ernest Crofts brought to his art direct witness of the battlefield, having in 1864 accompanied a Prussian doctor in the Schleswig-Holstein War and in 18701 witnessed first-hand the closing stages of the Franco-Prussian war, at Weissenbourg, Wrth, and the siege of Strasbourg.Provenance: Studio Sale, Christie’s, Dec 18th 1911.In graphite with white bodycolour highlights. On pale grey paper. There is an additional graphite drawing on the verso, which has been crossed through.All artworks come with a Certificate of Authenticity and in some cases the accompanying collection text or artist biography. Signed: Signed with monogram stamp lower left. Height: 25.2cm (9.9) Width: 19.2cm (7.6) Condition: Some minor scattered spots of foxing. There is discolouration across the verso of the paper, which does not adversely affect the front. Please see photos for detail. Presented: Unframed.