Attributed to William Edward Frost, RA, 
British 1810-1877- 
Venus in a woodland glade, with an...

Attributed to William Edward Frost, RA, 
British 1810-1877- 

Venus in a woodland glade, with an infant faun and an attendant; 

oil on canvas, 71 x 98.5 cm. 

Provenance: 
With E. Stacy-Marks, (as 'William Etty RA', according to an old label on the reverse) 
Private Collection. 

Note: 
William Edward Frost first trained at the Royal Academy Schools, starting out as a portrait painter before devoting his practice almost entirely to depicting the female nude. In this approach he followed closely in the footsteps of his slightly older contemporary William Etty (1787-1849), whose works appear to have had a significant influence on Frost's artistic practice. 
The painting presented here, like many of Frost's works, appears to position the women in a loosely mythological setting, surrounded by classical attributes. The subject has allowed the artist to show off his fine brushwork, particularly in the porcelain-like rendition of the women's skin, and the glint of the precious objects that lie scattered on the forest floor. The marble-like, almost sculpturally modelled figures are strongly reminiscent of those in Frost's 'Three Graces' in the collection of the Yale Centre for British Art (B1998.24.3), as well as his painting of 'Sabrina', exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1871 and later recorded at Sotheby's, 14 July 1983, lot 149. 
The central figure of Venus, depicted with her arm raised in the air, also recalls the figure of Venus in Frost's 'Venus disarming Cupid', which was sold at Christie's, 20 February 2003, lot 171 (£32,000). 

We are grateful to Richard Green of York University for suggesting the attribution to Frost on the basis of photographs.