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GEORGE FREDERIC WATTS (BRITISH, 1817-1904)
Portrait of Isabella Ionides (née Sechiari, 1853-1913)
signed 'G.F. Watts' (lower right)
oil on canvas
66 x 53.5cm
Provenance
Commissioned by Alexander Aleco Ionides (1840-1898), husband of the sitter;
By descent to George Alexander Ionides (b. 1879);
Thence by family descent
| Estimate: | £8,000 - £12,000 |
Footnote
The
portrait by Watts is likely to date from the 1880s and depicts Isabella Ionides
in a serene manner while the semi-profile angle imbues the work with a sense of
contemplative strength. Isabella was
born near Marseille on 21st April 1853, to Ambrose and Penelope
Sechiari. Watts was presumably
commissioned by Aleco and the mutual affection between artist and family is
reflected in the ease of Isabella’s pose and expression, creating a palpable
sense of intimacy.