His first suit bears a number of similarities to Morgan's famous painting His first birthday, 1899 (Private Collection). Both works depict an idyllic, middle-class English summer scene of circa 1810. Morgan painted from life and a number of the models in the paintings are the same – the elderly couple on the left also feature in His first birthday, as does Morgan’s wife Mary, here the model for the woman kneeling on the floor, and his son Courtney, aged around four, is the young boy showing off his first suit.
The painting is a celebration of the Victorian notion of the unspoilt childhood that was so revered and promoted by the middle and upper-classes. Childhood became an enormously popular theme in art during the nineteenth century and many of Britain's most talented artists chose to depict various aspects from the impoverished orphan to the exquisitely dressed rosy-cheeked paragon of purity and sweetness.
As with many of Fred Morgan's works His first suit was also produced as a coloured photogravure.
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Condition report
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The canvas has been lined and is on its original stretcher which is providing good support. There are some minor areas of surface crakcing. The varnish has slightly discoloured and might benefit from a light clean. There are some scuffs at the edges of the canvas corresponding to frame abrasions, but these are covered by the frame. Under UV light there is an uneven, dirty varnish which fluoresces and makes reading the canvas difficult. However there appear to be a few small areas of retouching to some of flesh tones in the old man's face, to the boy's cheeks, and to his mother's hand and cheek.
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Lot 112Sale 21037
His first suitFREDERICK MORGAN (BRITISH, 1847-1927)Estimate: GBP 30,000 - 50,000
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