Estimated Price:

   $   

Realized Price:

   $   

What is this symbol? This symbol indicates that this auction hose has verified this price result.

Log in or subscribe to view price data

signed and dated l.r.: W P Frith 1858

oil on canvas

PROVENANCE

W. Houldsworth Esq. of Halifax, by 1864;
Sotheby's, 2 November 1994, lot 157
LITERATURE AND REFERENCES

Art Journal, 1864, p. 64, repr. p. 65
CATALOGUE NOTE

The subject of the little street urchin The Crossing Sweeper, attempting to persuade a pretty young lady to pay him to escort her across a busy London road (or 'broom-walk' as they were known in the profession), was one of Frith's most popular compositions. He painted several versions of the picture, the present picture being the one engraved for the Art Journal of 1864 with the accompanying text: 'One or two centuries hence many of Mr. Frith's pictures will be referred to as illustrative examples of the people, manners, and costumes of his time, and speaking more intelligibly than the most lucid descriptions of the historian, however comprehensive and faithful these may be. His scenes drawn from life are not Hogarthian, for he does not assume to be a moralist, and certainly is not a caricaturist. He is a student in the life-school of Nature, with his countrymen and women of all ages and conditions, sitting as his models... His smaller pictures, such as that before us, present little episodes, so to speak, in the social history of the middle of the nineteenth century... The present picture is painted with the artist's usual care and brilliancy of colour.' (Art Journal, 1864, p. 64)

The critic for the Art Journal felt that the vocation of a crossing sweeper was lucrative and honest, 'The majority rarely (fell) into the hands of the police for their misdemeanours.' The author considered the sweeper's face 'somewhat above the fraternity of St. Giles [workhouse]; it is bright and intelligent, showing material which would work well in the hands of a schoolmaster,, and which, properly employed, would turn out advantageously. If the fair lady would only condescend to turn her glance on him, she could not resist his earliest appeal: but she is evidently measuring her distance as regards the approach of some vehicle.' (Art Journal, 1864, p. 64) Frith in contrast had rather a different view of the scruffy little model he had found for The Crossing Sweeper, in his autobiography; 'I began a small picture of a lady waiting to cross a street, with a little crossing-sweeper besieging her in the usual fashion. A model for the lady was easily found, and there was a large field of selection open to me as regarding the boy. I discovered a young gentleman with closely-cropped hair, naked feet, and wonderful broom - in all respects what I desired, except in regard of honesty: and for a further description of this young person and his unsuccessful attempt to rob me, I must refer my reader to my chapter on 'Models'. I may note here the impression the youth made upon me at this first sitting. In my diary dated 17th July, I find: 'A low dull Irish boy for crossing-sweeper, one degree removed from Pig'... my little crossing sweeper's face warned me not to leave him alone in my painting room.' (My Autobiography and Reminiscences, 1888, vol. I, pp. 296-8, vol. II, p. 216).

Another version of The Crossing Sweeper was sold in these rooms, 12 June 2003, lot 247.