Nathaniel Sparks RE (1880-1956)

A Native of Sierra Leone
oil on canvas, unframed and unstretched
110 x 83.5cm;
together with the original copper printing plate, 16.5 x 13cm, and the signed, unframed etching, 23.5 x 16cm (3)

Provenance:
From the collection of Celia Barclay, close friend and biographer of the artist

This striking half-length side-profile portrait, titled A Native of Sierra Leone, stands as the masterpiece of London etcher Nathaniel Sparks RE (1880–1957). Sparks, a cousin of the poet Thomas Hardy and the son of a violin restorer, lived much of his life overshadowed by his family's literary associations. Reserved in nature and often self-conscious about his slight build and unkempt appearance, Sparks remained largely out of the spotlight. Yet in this portrait, he makes a bold artistic declaration to both his contemporaries and modern viewers: 'This is my hand; this is my talent'.

Painted during his student years at the Royal College of Art, c.1900–05, the work reflects a difficult period in Sparks’s life. He endured bullying and cruel caricatures from classmates, retreating into his studies and frequently copying Rembrandt prints. The painting reflects a growing academic and market interest in the Black model—long present in European art, yet historically overlooked. Artists have long sought to depict African sitters in ways that avoid caricature, instead capturing dignity and individuality. Sparks achieves this balance with remarkable sensitivity.

The composition is simple but effective: a teal blue drapery suggests the sitter’s status or role, while a flat yellow background enhances the figure’s presence. Most notably, Sparks renders the sitter’s face with a high degree of finish, focusing on youthfulness and quiet beauty rather than embellishment.

This portrait is a rare and important work within Sparks’s limited painted output. It is accompanied by the original copper etching plate, and the etching, of the same composition, created with equal technical finesse. The etching was selected by Sparks as his submission piece for membership in the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers in 1905—a society he would formally join four years later. A copy of this etching is held in the Victoria and Albert Museum (RCAL.834-1916).

Condition Report

Canvas is unstretched and has masking tape adhering the canvas selvedge to cardboard at the rear. There is a layer of dirt and fine craquelure networks throughout, both from impact and age. There is paint loss, particularly to the head of the sitter and to the edges of the canvas. The paint layer appears reasonably brittle. As the canvas is unstretchered there is undulation throughout. Please see additional images.