Shall I?
Description
Exhibitions
“The secretary of the London selection committee which was actively purchasing artworks for the Gallery in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, talks in a letter addressed to the Gallery’s director and dated 24 Aug 1900, about an exhibition at the New Gallery in which the painting was exhibited and offered for sale.” -AGNSW 1900, 3rd Summer Exhibition, New Gallery, London, England.
Provenance
1900, Purchased from the New Gallery, London, England by the Trustees, at a cost of £315. Acc no 6063 AGNSW documentation Correspondence (British and Foreign) BF 19/1900, letter from AH Greening to George Layton, London, 24 Aug 1910. Purchase of F D Millet “Shall I” from the New Gallery (‘The New Gallery has lately closed and a picture which was thought very highly of by Mr East was offered to my Committee, at a price considerably less than had been asked by the artist, during the time of the Exhibition. It is well painted, and the subject is pleasing. It is called “Shall I” and the artist is Mr F D Millet, whose work is well known as a painter of refined popular subjects of interiors with figures. I am pleased to report that the Selection Committee have secured this picture for the sum of £315, and it will probably be shipped to Sydney by the ‘Ophir’ leaving here on the 14th proximo’). Correspondence (British and Foreign) BF 21/1900, letter from AH Greening to George Layton, London, 19 Sep 1910. Shipment of Millet picture. Trustees’ minutes, 1900, p 293 (19 Oct). London letter dated 24th August 1900 advising purchase of Millet “Shall I?” from the New Gallery. Trustees’ minutes, 1900, p 301 (30 Nov). Pictures received from London including Millet “Shall I” (“were received in good order”). Correspondence (British and Foreign) BF 7/1901, letter from AH Greening to George Layton, London, 22 Mar 1901. Copyright agreement of picture by FD Millet. National Art Gallery of New South Wales (report of the trustees for the year 1901), Sydney, 1902, p 2
Literature
Illustrated catalogue: National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney: The Trustees, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, 1906, p 22, no 58 National Art Gallery of N.S.W. Illustrated catalogue, Sydney: The Trustees, National Art Gallery of New South Wales 1917, p 22, no 54 Free, Renée. Art Gallery of New South Wales catalogue of British paintings, : The Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wale, , p 130, illus p 130
