Herbert Johnson Harvey, The Whisper, Self-Portrait

Herbert Johnson Harvey, The Whisper, Self-PortraitThis early 20th century pastel by Herbert Johnson Harvey (1884 1928) depicts the artist dressed in traditional peasant clothing while surreptitiously whispering. Harvey carried an admiration for the old masters, which was instilled by his father, the artist John Rabone Harvey. His works are steeped in traditional patterns and iconography. Here, we see one of several self portraits he undertook which portray him akin to a 17th century Dutch peasant.

Signed/dated on the left and housed within a fine period frame decorated with grapevines

Canvas could be easily cleaned to revive its rich colours but we prefer it as it is

Thomas Christopher Hofland

Several artists portrayed gypsies as representing an escape from typical societal constraints

Learn more about Edvard Petersen in our directory

peppered with grazing sheep and distant sailboats

trained in Paris

She carries an expression of quiet defiance

Many of these are coastal and feature traditional fishing communities - women wait by open doorways for ‘the fleet’ to return or sit hopefully by a crib in anticipation of the day’s catch

A peaceful escape

Two are standing on makeshift wooden scaffolding while a third is up a ladder

with its sensuous lips