Photograph: The Brown Collection
Photograph: The Brown Collection
Annie French Scottish, 1872-1965
A seated lady surrounded by foliage, reading a book
Pen, black, red, and brown ink and wash on paper laid down on card
17.5 x 11 cm
A seated lady surrounded by foliage and reading a book (date unknown) is a work by Scottish artist Annie French (1872–1965), currently on view in The Brown Collection. The work...
A seated lady surrounded by foliage and reading a book (date unknown) is a work by Scottish artist Annie French (1872–1965), currently on view in The Brown Collection. The work exemplifies French’s characteristic style, which is defined by precise, confetti-like marks and intricate layered hatching.
French was associated with the early twentieth-century Glasgow Style, recognised for its delicate lines, flowing forms and pronounced decorative sensibility, drawing on both Art Nouveau and Symbolism.
This modest drawing, measuring only 17.5 x 11 cm, exemplifies the meditative repetition of mark-making central to the exhibition Hoi Polloi. French’s rhythmic marks integrate the figure with the surrounding foliage, nearly dissolving the sitter into the environment. The drawing’s small scale and intricate detail cause the image to emerge gradually, encouraging viewers to linger and reflect on the artist’s technique.
French was associated with the early twentieth-century Glasgow Style, recognised for its delicate lines, flowing forms and pronounced decorative sensibility, drawing on both Art Nouveau and Symbolism.
This modest drawing, measuring only 17.5 x 11 cm, exemplifies the meditative repetition of mark-making central to the exhibition Hoi Polloi. French’s rhythmic marks integrate the figure with the surrounding foliage, nearly dissolving the sitter into the environment. The drawing’s small scale and intricate detail cause the image to emerge gradually, encouraging viewers to linger and reflect on the artist’s technique.