Student Artwork Guide
Copyright This work is in the public domain. William Powell Frith died in 1909; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1979.
In context
Isabelle Asleep — William Powell Frith
Row above: the year. Row below: the artist's age in that year.
Painted when the artist was 48. The artist lived to 90. 23 of the 32 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.
Shaded: the lifetime of William Powell Frith (1819–1909) ▲ this work, 1867
First works: up to 1848 Main working years: 1848–1867 Late works: from 1867
Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell.
Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.
More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/william-powell-frith-isabelle-asleep-AQRCAH-en/
Measured from the image
Main colour
Khaki #dfb686
Catalogued palette
The ten leading countries
Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.
Together these works take 39.1% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 138 works by this artist, of which 93 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 25 of them, with 1.3% of that attention.
Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.
Artist and museum
Born in Aldfield, United Kingdom
Born: January 9, 1819, Aldfield, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, England
Died: November 2, 1909, London
William Powell Frith’s father was a hotelier in Harrogate.
He initially intended to be an auctioneer but his father recognized his artistic talent.
Frith studied at Sass's Academy in Charlotte Street, London and later attended the Royal Academy Schools.
Early career focused on portrait painting and literary subjects (Shakespeare, Scott).
Membership: Member of The Clique, a group of artists including Richard Dadd, Augustus Egg, Henry O’Neil, John Phillip, Edward Ward, and Thomas Creswick.
Influences: Heavily influenced by Sir David Wilkie's domestic subjects.
Genre Painting & Panoramic Narrative: Frith became renowned for his detailed genre scenes and panoramic narrative works depicting Victorian life in public places.
Notable Works:
Ramsgate Sands (1854): Depicts a lively scene at the seaside resort of Ramsgate.
The Derby Day (1858): Captures the atmosphere and social interactions at Epsom Downs Racecourse. This painting was incredibly popular, requiring railings to manage crowds viewing it.
The Railway Station (1862): A detailed depiction of Paddington Station.
The Sleeping Model (1853): Presented as his Diploma work at the Royal Academy.
The Crossing Sweeper (1858): Explores the contrast between wealth and poverty in London.
Photographic Influence: Frith utilized photographic studies by Robert Howlett to achieve remarkable detail and accuracy in his paintings, particularly in works like The Derby Day.
Style: Characterized by meticulous observation, a large number of figures, and a focus on capturing the details of everyday life. He was known for his realism and attention to social commentary within his scenes.
Autobiographies: Frith wrote two autobiographies, My Autobiography (1887) and Further Reminiscences (1888), providing insights into Victorian art and society.
Artistic Views: He was a traditionalist and expressed his aversion to modern art developments.
Royal Academician: Elected as a Royal Academician in 1853.
Longevity: Frith lived a remarkably long life, witnessing significant changes in the art world during the Victorian era. He outlived many of his contemporaries from The Clique.
Social Commentary: His paintings provided valuable documentation of Victorian society, capturing its social dynamics, fashion, and leisure activities.
Popularity & Commercial Success: Frith was one of the most commercially successful artists of his time, with his works widely admired and sought after.
Influence on Genre Painting: He significantly contributed to the development of genre painting in Britain, elevating it to a respected art form.
Detailed Realism: His meticulous attention to detail set a standard for realism in Victorian art.
Legacy: Frith’s paintings continue to be exhibited and studied, offering a unique window into 19th-century life and solidifying his place as a significant figure in British art history.
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Look closely
Isabelle Asleep — William Powell Frith
Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.
Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.
The palette of "Isabelle Asleep" is balanced soft in saturation.
"Isabelle Asleep" dates from 1867. The date places the work within William Powell Frith's career and its era.
"Isabelle Asleep" was made in 1867, within the Victorian Genre Painting movement.
The color that stands out most in "Isabelle Asleep" is khaki (#dfb686). The dominant color is useful when matching an artwork to an interior.
"Isabelle Asleep" has an augmented reality preview: the artwork's AR Preview page shows it in your own space on a compatible device.
The artist behind "Isabelle Asleep" is William Powell Frith. The work is catalogued under William Powell Frith's name.
William Powell Frith was 48 years old when creating "Isabelle Asleep" in 1867. The age is computed from the artist's birth year, 1819.