English Graphite Portrait Sketch of Female Nude, Leaning

English Graphite Sketch of a Female Nude, Leaning by Henry George Moon (British 1857-1905) on off white artists paper, unframed measurements: sheet 18.25 x 11.5 inches provenance: from the artists estate Condition report: pin holes to corners where it was attached to artists board, small fold to lower right corner. Edge of sheet rippling to right hand edge close to image, otherwise good for age. Image a little fainter to the head and shoulders area than the main body of the work. Nicely executed nude life study, one of several we are currently working on from this artist. The sitter is posed leaning forwards supporting herself on a stone or wooden surface. This is a good sized example of Moon’s sketch work, many of his paintings we are working on are smaller in size. This should frame nicely. Henry George Moon, born in Barnet, England 1857. Moon developed his love for art at school and studied at the Birbeck and St Martins schools of art. Joining the art department of The Garden publication in 1880, Moon became their illustrator for many botanical and horticultural plates, he also painted for other publications including The English Flower Garden, and enjoyed landscape painting in his own spare time. Many of his landscapes were produced in the last twenty years of the 1800-1899, when he was greatly influenced by the work of American artist William Edward Norton. Four years (1885-1889) were dedicated to illustrating a great deal of Reichenbachia (orchid studies) for H F C Sander, printing plates from Moon’s woodcut etchings. His name remains foremost among highly acclaimed botanical painters of the time. William Robinson particularly liked Moon’s landscape work “I often thought that if less of his work had been given to plant drawing, how much better it would have been for landscape art”. Moon remained a respected art critic, enjoying involvement among London sketching clubs (the Birbeck, the Gilbert Garrett etc), but after many years of frail health he died at just 48 in 1905.