Walter Richard Sickert

L’Américaine

1908

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

License this image

Not on display

Artist: Walter Richard Sickert 1860–1942
Medium: Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions: Support: 508 × 406 mm
frame: 748 × 649 × 55 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Bequeathed by Lady Henry Cavendish-Bentinck 1940
Reference: N05090

Display caption

Despite its French title this is a painting of a London 'costergirl', a woman who worked selling food from a barrow. Sickert was exhibiting paintings both in France and in London, and the title was probably given after it had been shown with his dealer Bernheim Jeune in Paris. He wrote 'Here I am deep in two divine costergirls - one with sunlight on her indoors. You know the trompe l'oeil hat all the coster girls wear here with a crown fitting the head inside and expanded outside to immense proportions. It's called an 'American sailor'(hat)'.

Gallery label, September 2004

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.

Catalogue entry

Explore

emotions, concepts and ideas(16,660)
- emotions and human qualities(5,351)
- - contemplation(146)
interiors(4,552)
- domestic(1,813)
- - interior - non-specific(843)
objects(23,302)
- clothing and personal items(5,884)
- - hat, boater(11)
people(35,021)
- actions: postures and motions(9,098)
- - looking down(194)
- adults(22,638)
- - woman(9,055)
- named individuals(12,478)
- - Waters, Sally(1)
- portraits(4,294)
- - individuals: female(1,658)
work and occupations(14,053)
- trading and commercial(1,159)
- - trader(245)

You might like

Walter Richard Sickert Off to the Pub

1911
Walter Richard Sickert Girl at a Window, Little Rachel

1907

On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
Walter Richard Sickert Woman Washing her Hair

1906
Walter Richard Sickert The Little Tea Party: Nina Hamnett and Roald Kristian

1915–16
Walter Richard Sickert Tipperary

1914
Walter Richard Sickert La Hollandaise

c.1906

On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
Walter Richard Sickert Ennui

c.1914

On display at Tate Modern part of In the Studio
Walter Richard Sickert A Marengo

c.1903–4
Walter Richard Sickert L’Armoire à Glace

1924
Walter Richard Sickert Minnie Cunningham at the Old Bedford

1892

On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
Walter Richard Sickert Two Women on a Sofa - Le Tose

c.1903–4
Walter Richard Sickert The Front at Hove (Turpe Senex Miles Turpe Senilis Amor)

1930
Walter Richard Sickert Mrs Barrett

c.1905
Walter Richard Sickert Miss Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies as Isabella of France

1932

On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
Walter Richard Sickert Miss Earhart’s Arrival

1932

In the shop

Browse the shop