Harold Speed, Portrait of a Child, 1913, Oil on Canvas

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An exceptional and unusually large 1913 portrait by renowned British painter Harold Speed (1872–1957), depicting a young child standing in … Read more An exceptional and unusually large 1913 portrait by renowned British painter Harold Speed (1872–1957), depicting a young child standing in a richly painted garden setting. The sitter is portrayed full-length and barefoot, dressed in a loose pale blue-grey smock and holding a wooden hoop. Speed places the figure against a dramatically shadowed garden, with flowering rhododendrons, dense foliage and architectural stonework providing a richly atmospheric backdrop. Particularly accomplished is the contrast between the child's softly illuminated figure and the deep greens, blues and burgundy tones of the surrounding vegetation. The face is sensitively modelled with delicate flesh tones and a remarkably natural expression, while areas of the garden are handled with broader, expressive brushwork. At approximately 180 cm high, the canvas has an impressive physical presence and demonstrates Speed's considerable abilities as a society and portrait painter. The work is presented in an elegant gilt frame, bringing the overall dimensions to nearly two metres in height. Signed and dated "Harold Speed 1913" lower right. About Harold Speed Harold Speed (1872–1957) was an important British portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, teacher and author. Initially intending to follow his father into architecture, Speed instead pursued painting, studying at the Royal College of Art and subsequently the Royal Academy Schools, where he won a gold medal and travelling scholarship. His studies subsequently took him to continental Europe, including Paris, Vienna and Rome. Speed developed a particularly successful career in portraiture and exhibited extensively in Britain. His works appeared numerous times at the Royal Academy, Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Fine Art Society, Leicester Galleries, Walker Art Gallery exhibitions and other major institutions. He was also an influential teacher and writer on artistic technique. His books on drawing and oil painting remain known among artists and students today. This monumental 1913 portrait is characteristic of Speed's ability to combine the formality and technical assurance of traditional British portraiture with a softer, increasingly painterly early-20th-century approach. Artist: Harold Speed (1872–1957) Date: 1913 Medium: Oil on canvas Subject: Full-length portrait of a child in a garden Signature: Signed and dated lower right, "Harold Speed 1913" Artwork dimensions: 180 × 112.5 cm (72 × 45 in.) Framed dimensions: 197.5 × 130 cm (79 × 52 in.) Period: Early 20th century Origin: England Style: British portraiture / Edwardian / traditional figurative painting See less