PIERCED BY AN ARROW

An original illustration of a woman on the floor of a forest, her voluminous skirts spread around her as she clutches her hand to her breast where an arrow has pierced her. Executed in ink and watercolour atop a tan background and heightened with gold ink. Signed to the lower right corner. Mounted and framed, the illustration and mount window measure 16 x 16cm, while the frame measures 34 x 35cm. Undated.

Scottish artist Annie French (1872-1965) attended and later taught at the Glasgow School of Art during the era of the 'Glasgow Girls' (of which she was one) and the 'Glasgow Boys', whose distinctive collective style helped to shape the aesthetics of British art and crafts across the turn of the 20th century. Among her contemporaries were Margaret and Frances MacDonald and Jessie M. King. This gorgeous piece is a wonderfully typifying example of French's work and perfectly exhibits her delicate, fluid style, which manages to be highly detailed (note the ruffles around the neckline and hem of the dress and even the faint crosshatching in the seemingly blank space in the background) without ever becoming heavy, stagnant, or overworked. Her linework is exceptionally fine and sweeping, creating an airy and subtly dynamic atmosphere, while her restrained use of gold and bright turquoise against an otherwise muted palette stands out jewel-like, lifting and completing the scene.