Studies from an album of scraps from sketch books by Jas. Smetham Studies of Two Heads (Recto): Study of a Child Wearing a Bonnet (Verso): Graphite/pencil and ink with watercolour and blue chalks on white laid paper, variously inscribed � laid onto blue Ingres, laid paper (1). Inscribed in pen and ink (Recto): This book belongs to Jas. Smetham, Park Lane, Stoke Newington, London.Sheet: 14.8 x 8.9 cm.Backing paper: 27 x 21 cm.Provenance: A transcript of a letter written by the artist�s daughter will be included in the sale.This is one of 229 works removed from an album of sketches by James Smetham. The album was com-piled by the artist�s daughter, Edie and her siblings in 1878 then presented to their father when he was ill.Throughout his life Smetham had suffered from bouts of mental illness but it was in the fall of 1877 that he succumbed to a debilitating attack after which he withdrew from the world, he became delusional and virtually ceased talking. Almost a year had passed since his attack when he received the album. After a decade of emotional and psychological anguish, he died on February 5, 1889. James Smetham produced over four hundred paintings during his lifetime. Like his good friend Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who was a major influence on his art, Smetham was a poet as well as a painter. He also wrote criticisms and recorded fascinating details on many celebrated personages of his day. His paintings ranged from portraits to Biblical interpretations, arcadian vignettes and landscapes. Smetham had great hopes and complicated theories about how audiences would understand and buy his art, but he was sadly disappointed with critical response. However, he received praise from some eminent contemporaries like John Ruskin, George Frederick Watts and Dante Gabriel Rossetti who hailed his friends'' paintings as ''the flower of modern art''.All our prices include FREE packing and delivery within the UK.PAYMENT OPTIONSF...