Portrait Study of an Oriental Youth

Circle of William Etty RA (1787-1849)
Portrait Study of an Oriental Youth
Oil on canvas, framed
74 cm. wide x 61.5 cm. high / 29 x 24 ins (94 cm. x 81 cm. framed)

PROVENANCE:
Sotheby's London, British Paintings 1500-1850, 9th July 1997, lot 104; with The Parker Gallery, England

This portrait study is a captivating example of British orientalist portraiture. It shows, from three angles, a handsome young moustachioed Indian or Arabian male glancing to dexter, wearing a collared shirt, with long black locks of hair flowing beneath a red-and-white turban. He is surrounded by a background of swirling red clouds.

The present portrait study is closely related to two other finished portraits. The first, a portrait of Prince Johannis Mavromichaeli from the collection of Sir Nicholas Goodison, was attributed to William James Müller (Christie’s, London, 25 May 2022). Another portrait of an oriental male (described as an ‘Indian boy’) sold in Sotheby’s (London, April 20th 1990, lot 50), was given to the British artist, William Etty (1787-1849).

Both portraits may be related to the present portrait in terms of the sitter’s glance to dexter, the swirling clouds in the background, the fine locks of hair, sketchy finish of the dress and the rendering of the face and particularly the glassy whites of the eyes. This suggests that all three paintings were executed by the same hand, suggesting the artist was a significant figure.

It seems likely, therefore, that the present painting was a preparatory sketch for a larger portrait, executed by an accomplished British artist who was working in the circle of Etty in London, possibly during a trip to India or the Middle East.