Elsie at Burghclere: PD.11-1976

Materials used in production

Graphite

Components of the work

Support composed of paper ( buff; the left edge is damaged and repaired with paper tissue backing)

Techniques used in production

Drawing (image-making) : Graphite on buff paper, squared

Inscription or legends present

• Text: 29
• Location: Upper right
• Method of creation: Graphite

• Text: 57
• Location: Upper right
• Method of creation: Red chalk

• Text: 45
• Location: Lower left
• Method of creation: Graphite

• Text: drawing room window of lace curtains and venetian blinds - front on the pavement, there is (an?) assembly of prams the hoods of which here and there are up, on --- into the prams. Above the piano, the iron railing of the Fernlea fence with children clambering about on them. A servant speaking to a man, at the back garden gate. The House called the Nest is also taken under the wing of this section as it is a sort of family cottage, once inhabited by my granna, A woman waters some flowers in the little railed garden slip in front of the cottage, too narrow to walk in and so gardened and watered through the railing. No 9 a little west of Fernlea and to me the spiritual atmosphere is more towards the Cookham, more land and region and its influence and what happens there in its fields and son begins to be felt. Thus here footballers are seen returning from a Saturday afternoon match and some of them living at this next cottage is seen retreating up the narrow alley seen from the street. The old man smoking a pipe, his father does not unhinge his arms raised and locked round the top spikes of the gate to support his leaning, but slowly with his feet walking backwards opens the gate sufficiently far to admit sons entrance. A disciple holds up or presents locks to the footballers. His gesture is one of extreme adoration. As I pass this in review I myself am aware of scenes going on behind and about me and on the road itself and on the opposite pavement, when the final work was done with both sides of the street facing each other, some further expression of the meaning would be affected. For instance just as going west up the street one gets this sense of the influence of Cookham More and the marsh meadows coming after Fernlea and in the form here of Footballers, so on the other side of the road, when I come to describe it will be the first instance of an influence coming from the east end of the street. In the middle of the road scenes, I think I will have a few raised screens on which to place pictures where one sees the village end on. That would be more in the manner of some provincial gallery and not much use in a church. However I may think of something. Beyond the footballers is a middle aged woman and her daughter standing by the wooden gate of the house next to them and which opens out towards them. The Fernlea section (No 8) causing such difficulty, also caused a break in that section? - by them I feel a need to attain and this in turn brought about a slight change. That produced it and also the feel of now being on the west side of Fernlea and something to do with it. Only...
• Location: Verso
• Method of creation: Graphite

Identification numbers

Accession number: PD.11-1976
Primary reference Number: 13643
Stable URI

Audit data

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints