Study for 'Evening in May', 25 May, 1922

Sir George Clausen RA (1852 - 1944)

RA Collection: Art

This is a preparatory study for Clausen's 1925 Royal Academy exhibit, Evening in May (no. 145; location unknown). It reveals that Clausen reduced the width of the large tree on the right and excluded the cows in the final work.

The proportions shown in this sketch are fairly representative of the painting, which is not much larger than the size of the paper for this drawing. A margin approximately 25-30mm wide has been marked off along the left edge and suggests that Clausen was sizing up the composition ready for transfer.

It is fairly unusual for such a long time to have elapsed between the date the studies were executed and the exhibition date of the finished work and it is possible Evening in May did not constitute the first use of this composition. Clausen was a consummate recycler of compositional material throughout his career.