Lot 28: The Cruel Sister

John Faed, R.S.A. (1820-1902) The Cruel Sister signed 'J Faed.' (lower right) oil on board 13 x 10 in. (33 x 25.4 cm.)

33 x 25.4 cm.

Leeds, National Exhibition of Works of Art, 1868, no. 1461.

Charles Hargitt(?). Anonymous sale; Christie's, London, 9 March 1951, lot 62 (36 gns to Dean(?)).

This painting is a reduced version of a larger picture by Faed at Bury Art Gallery. The tale of The Cruel Sister (or ‘Twa Sisters’) was published as part of a collection of 305 traditional ballads from England, Scotland and early America, collated and published in Boston, Massachusetts, by Francis James Child (1825-1896), an American scholar, between 1882 and 1898. The ballads covered a variety of themes including deception and treachery, love and fate, escape and exile, and included tales about famous figures such as Rob Roy, Thomas Cromwell, Robin Hood and King Arthur. The story of The Cruel Sister, which has appeared in varied narratives since The Miller and the King's Daughter of 1656, centres around two sisters who quarrel over a dashing suitor. The ballad is known with slightly differing storylines in many northern European languages including Swedish, Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish and Slovenian.