Selina Crampton 1806-1876
Six Caricatures of Social Life
Watercolour on paper
Various dimensions, the largest 16 x 22 cm.
Selina Crampton was the daughter of Sir Philip Crampton, surgeon to the Meath Hospital and sister of Sir John Crampton, a diplomat whom she accompanied to several of his postings overseas, before they retired together to Bushey Park, Enniskerry, County Wicklow. Throughout their lives, brother and sister were keen amateur artists. Selina, who studied with David Cox Junior, was arguably a practitioner of greater charm, if perhaps less formal ability. Here she evokes the manners and mores of the Regency world of her youth, in scenes of competitive dressing among young women (‘Look how smart I am!), or social catastrophe (‘Well I declare’), while a particularly charming watercolour of leave taking evokes perfectly the world of Jane Austen. At the other end of the social scale, but equally well observed, is a scene in the village school.
Six Caricatures of Social Life
Watercolour on paper
Various dimensions, the largest 16 x 22 cm.
Selina Crampton was the daughter of Sir Philip Crampton, surgeon to the Meath Hospital and sister of Sir John Crampton, a diplomat whom she accompanied to several of his postings overseas, before they retired together to Bushey Park, Enniskerry, County Wicklow. Throughout their lives, brother and sister were keen amateur artists. Selina, who studied with David Cox Junior, was arguably a practitioner of greater charm, if perhaps less formal ability. Here she evokes the manners and mores of the Regency world of her youth, in scenes of competitive dressing among young women (‘Look how smart I am!), or social catastrophe (‘Well I declare’), while a particularly charming watercolour of leave taking evokes perfectly the world of Jane Austen. At the other end of the social scale, but equally well observed, is a scene in the village school.
Six Caricatures of Social Life
Watercolour on paper
Various dimensions, the largest 16 x 22 cm.
Selina Crampton was the daughter of Sir Philip Crampton, surgeon to the Meath Hospital and sister of Sir John Crampton, a diplomat whom she accompanied to several of his postings overseas, before they retired together to Bushey Park, Enniskerry, County Wicklow. Throughout their lives, brother and sister were keen amateur artists. Selina, who studied with David Cox Junior, was arguably a practitioner of greater charm, if perhaps less formal ability. Here she evokes the manners and mores of the Regency world of her youth, in scenes of competitive dressing among young women (‘Look how smart I am!), or social catastrophe (‘Well I declare’), while a particularly charming watercolour of leave taking evokes perfectly the world of Jane Austen. At the other end of the social scale, but equally well observed, is a scene in the village school.