Ford Madox Brown drew these figure studies whilst working on his cartoon 'Oure Ladye of Saturday Night.' The watercolour depicts two children, one being bathed by a Madonna-like figure and an angel, the other saying his prayers with the help of an angel. These four figure studies relate to the angel helping the child to say his prayers and show the various types of preparatory drawings Brown liked to make before painting. The drawing on the bottom right is a life-study from a female model to help Brown work out the pose of the figure more accurately. He then drew the same figure clothed. Sometimes he worried about isolated parts of the body and the drawing in the top right shows his desire to perfect the folds of the angel's tunic.
LM