| The Letter Writer of Seville | |
|---|---|
_-_The_Letter-Writer_of_Seville_-_RCIN_401188_-_Royal_Collection.jpg) | |
| Artist | John Phillip |
| Year | 1854 |
| Type | Oil on canvas,genre painting |
| Dimensions | 78.4 cm × 99.1 cm (30.9 in × 39.0 in) |
| Location | Royal Collection |
The Letter Writer of Seville is an oil on canvasgenre painting by the BritishartistJohn Phillip, from 1854.
The Scottish painter Phillip settled inLondon where he was a member ofThe Clique artistic group. After several visits toAndalucía from 1851 onwards he switched from depictions of Scottish rural life to Spanish scenes.[1] Set inSeville, whereilliteracy remained high, it shows a professional letter writer taking dictation from a young woman dressed in amantilla. Nearby a woman waits with her children to have a letter read out to her. The scene takes place in a very sunny day, with the letter writer's own dog resting near him. The man is named Juan Moráles, and his name appears in a placard above him in a wall.[2]
It was exhibited at theRoyal Academy's 1854Summer Exhibition where it was praised for its "atmosphere, local character and brilliant colouring".[3] It was also acclaimed when exhibited at theInternational Exhibition inParis in 1855. It was acquired byPrince Albert on behalf ofQueen Victoria and was hung inOsborne House on theIsle of Wight.[4] It remains in theRoyal Collection.[5]