With earthy tones and no use of clear lines, this is an imaginary drawing of the notorious seventeenth-century thief, Mary Firth, whose nickname was `Moll Cutpurse?. She was also known as `The Roaring Girl? a derivative of the roaring boys, who picked fights on the street and committed petty crimes. Firth often dressed as a man, while her brawling, boasting and daring made her the toast of London?s underworld.
James Ferrier Pryde (Scottish, 1866 - 1941)
Pryde was born in Edinburgh and studied at the Royal Scottish Academy Schools from 1886 to 1887. He grew up with a love of the theatre and even worked for a time (without much success) as an actor. Living in London from 1890, Pryde and his brother-in-law William Nicholson (portrayed in William Orpen's 'A Bloomsbury Family') set up a partnership as poster artists under the name 'The Beggarstaff Brothers'. Their modern, simplified style revolutionised poster design. As a painter, Pryde specialised in dark interiors and architectural fantasies. The majority of these works were done before 1925, though he did produce some designs for theatre sets later in life.
