Briggs (Henry Perronet, 1792-1844) Bust-length study of a female nude, black chalk, touches of graphite, heightened with white chalk, inscribed, probably by the artist: 'Study by H.P. Briggs R.A.' lower right, on blue-grey wove paper, without watermark, sheet 405 x 315 mm. (16 x 12 3/8 in), minor surface dirt, unframed.

⁂ Few drawings by Henry Perronet Briggs are known, and of these most are in public collections. The British Museum hold another sheet (no. 1878,0713.1252), probably executed around the same time, which is finished to a similar degree posing the question whether they were not studies to be later incorporated into paintings, but rather presentation drawings for dissemination among close friends and collectors. We have been unable to find a painting that the present work relates to. The Oppé collection, Tate, also have a drawing attributed to Briggs (acc. no. T10352), but it would appear not be of the same calibre as the present work, or at least executed in a much looser style. The present drawing stands as one of the artist's more accomplished drawings.