Study of a Seated Woman. Graphite on white paper. 11 1/4 X 6 3/4 inches (28.6 X 17.2 cm). Private collection, image courtesy of the author. [Click on the image to enlarge it.]
This drawing is not known to be a study for any specific painting by Strudwick, although it closely resembles female figures in compositions such as Love's Palace or The Ramparts of God's House. Drawings by Strudwick are relatively rare, perhaps because he felt he was technically deficient in draughtsmanship, and therefore largely tended to forgo preliminary studies. George Bernard Shaw quoted Strudwick's comment that "he could not draw - never could." Shaw felt this was "a priceless gift" that saved Strudwick from mere empty virtuosity - "execution for execution sake"(98). Strudwick's later figure drawings show that his handling of anatomy did improve with time, although he was never to attain the mastery that Edward Burne-Jones achieved through constant practice.
Bibliography
Drawings. London: Maas Gallery, 2013, no. 19.
Shaw, George Bernard. "J. M. Strudwick." The Art Journal LIII (April, 1891): 97-101. [full text of Shaw's article]
Created 8 October 2025