Edwy and Elgiva
Medium
Brush and brown and gray wash, over traces of black chalk, on ivory wove paper, laid down on board
Dimensions
32.4 × 44.8 cm (12 13/16 × 17 11/16 in.)
Classification
ink or chalk wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
114674
Art Historical Context
Clarkson Stanfield, a leading British Romantic artist celebrated for his dramatic marine paintings and theatrical designs, created this evocative wash drawing titled *Edwy and Elgiva*. The subject draws from a turbulent episode in tenth-century English history, centering on the young King Eadwig and his controversial consort Ælfgifu, whose story inspired numerous literary and stage adaptations. Though undated, the work reflects Stanfield’s deep engagement with narrative subjects that blended historical drama with emotional intensity. Executed in brush and brown-gray wash over faint black chal...