The Infanta

The Infanta (0il on Canvas) with original frame

Florence Kate Upton 1873-1922

Florence Kate Upton (22 February 1873–16 October 1922) was an American-born (Queens County, NY) British dual-national cartoonist and author most famous for creating the Golliwog character after a rag doll found in her Aunt's attic, featured in a series of children's books. The original doll and early draft stories are now part of her collection in the Victoria and Albert museum and the Museum of Children, London. 

Early life

Upton was born in Flushing, New York, to English parents who had immigrated to the United States. She was the second of four children in a creative and slightly eccentric household.

Florence's father, Thomas Harborough Upton, worked as a confidential clerk at the American Exchange Bank in New York. In 1884, the family moved from Flushing to central Manhattan, which was more convenient for her father's daily journey to his office. The National Academy of Design, located near the new home, offered free instruction to anyone who could qualify. This prompted her father to enroll in evening classes, and Florence, at 15 years old, joined him for the beginning of her formal art training.

Early career

In June 1889, the family was placed in financial difficulty by the sudden death of Thomas Upton. Florence's mother, Bertha Upton, had a trained singing voice and began to give voice lessons in the home. Her older sister, Ethelwyn, found work, while her younger siblings, Alice and Desmond, remained in school. At age 16, Florence obtained work as a professional illustrator. Numerous illustrated magazines existed at this time, mainly as vehicles for advertising and light fiction of varying merit. Some of the same authors whose stories appeared in these publications went on to employ Florence to illustrate their novels or books of short stories.

By 1893, the Upton family's finances had stabilised to such a degree that it was able to pay an extended visit to Bertha's relatives, the Hudsons, who lived in the Hampstead area of London. With an established reputation from her published work in New York, Florence had no difficulty in finding employment with London publishers. When the rest of the family returned to the United States, she opted to stay in England and began experimenting with ideas to supplement her income so that she could afford further art training

During her stay in London, Upton provided illustrations for The Strand Magazine, The Idler and Punch. The American Society in London also commissioned a series of drawings and cartoons to decorate the souvenir programme of their November 1896 Thanksgiving Banquet. In 1895, she studied art at Croydon under Walter Wallis. She gave him a copy of her book, which was later given to his grandchildren; its present whereabouts are unknown. After three years of work, she returned to New York to attend the Art Students League, then continued studies in Paris and the Netherlands. Returning to London in 1906 to take up permanent residence, she moved to 21 Great College Street in 1910.

Her real passion was for portraiture where she excelled and became a much demanded artist in the early 20th century for society  portraits. The Infanta is an exceptionally well painted portrait after Velazquez of Las Meninas. Painted as a test of skill in her early career, her version is extremely accomplished showing a high level of brushwork. William Nicolson 1872-1949 and other highly regarded artists and contemporaries also painted versions ov Las Meninas with varying degrees of success