Lacing the [a] Sandal

                   Lacing the [a] Sandal

Lacing the [a] Sandal (sometimes “the” is replaced by “a.” There is even an occasional “Her” instead of “the.”) is an oil on canvas of a woman standing and bending over lacing her sandal; painted circa 1883 by Millet. The painting is one of two similar works and both paintings often have a number of title variations, causing some confusion as to which painting is which.

The following link shows the hand written note of the painting being purchased by an E. Westor?, as item #172 in Thomas B. Clarke sale held at the American Art Galleries on Feb 14 & 15, in 1899.  There is also a nice write up about FDM on pg 83-84 in the catalog below.

https://archive.org/details/catalogueofpriva03amer/page/184/mode/2up?view=theater

Both paintings depict a  woman wearing one of the Greek gowns from Millet’s large costume collection, even possibly sewn by Millet.  At this time Millet was recognized both in America and Europe as the leading expert in Greek and Roman costume. It seems from newspaper clippings that he may have given more than a hundred presentations, often painting a small work while speaking.

Lacing Her Sandal or Lady on a Divan

Millet painted, in watercolor, a similar subject in an 1882 horizontal watercolor. [also shown in the website gallery]  The earlier watercolor was titled — Lacing Her Sandal or Woman on a Divan. 

In Lacing the [a] Sandal, this vertical oil on canvas, done circa 1883, includes a flowering tree, and subtle color variations.  Her gown is semi-transparent and the standing woman rests  her foot on a small ornately footed, Greek style table.

The same leopard skin rug is seen in both sandal paintings, however in the earlier watercolor, Millet has the woman sitting on a white painted wood divan with leaf motifs carved along the edge of the recliner.  Both Greek chiton gowns are similar with only the Strophion ribbon color changed, blue in the standing painting and green in the sitting one.

A member of the “Society of American Wood-engravers” A wood engraving  of “Lacing the Sandal, was produced by Frank French (1850-1933) in 1887.  It is this title that informs our decision to title the standing painting as “Lacing the Sandal,” as opposed to any other variation of the title. 

The Frank French engraving was completed  after the original Francis Davis Millet (1846-1912) painting.  The Frank French Ink on paper image, is a  full-length portrait of a woman at center, bent over tying her sandal; foot resting on a curule stool covered with fur. She is wearing a Grecian style gown. Flowers are in a vase, at left background.  There is a printed signature lower left, in image: “Frank French Sc. 1886”. At right, in image: “F.D. Millet / 1883”. Handwritten pencil inscription lower left in margin: “To Mr. Otis Hammond / with compliments of the Engraver / Frank French [underlined]”. Matted. Flat profile frame painted black; glazed.

Link to American Society of Wood-engravers book with Frank French engraving of “Lacing the Sandal”:

https://archive.org/details/gri_33125015065655/page/n49/mode/2up?view=theater

What is a wood engraving?

Less well-known than more traditional metal plate engraving; a wood engraving is a printmaking technique, in which an artist works an image or matrix of images into a block of wood. In many ways it is a variety of woodcut; however, it uses relief printing, where the artist applies ink to the face of the block and prints using relatively low pressure.

Greek/Roman genre artwork done by Millet similar to the “Lacing…” paintings:

Lolla, circa 1883, is an oil on canvas, which was exhibited at the Society of American Artists in 1883.  This image is from the Illustrated Catalogue of the Art Department, Eleventh Cincinnati Industrial Exposition, 1883, pg 70, No. 51

A Classical Figure, circa 1883, is a graphite on paper drawing.  It is 7.5 x 5 inches and held in a private collection.  This sketch, is so similar to the hair style, dress and strophion ribbon seen in the “Lacing…” paintings that it falls squarely into Millet’s Greek/Roman genre artwork, his costume creation and lectures.