19th Century Oil on Canvas titled The Lock of Hair by James S Craig

The Lock of Hair by James S Craig (1854 - 1870)
Oil on canvas
Signed and dated 1869
The painting depicts a quiet, intimate moment between two figures in a lush, wooded landscape.
A young woman appears to be trimming or holding a lock of hair to give to the man seated beside her.

Slight loss to painting

The painting depicts a romantic, pastoral scene in a lush, wooded landscape based on the famous poem. James Craig was a subject painter who often drew on Scottish literary sources including ballads, poems and the work of Sir Walter Scott, reflecting his own birth in Scotland. The title "The Lock of Hair" is based on one of Sir Water Scott's famous poems which delves into the transformative power of a lock of hair, it reflects the Romantic sensibility, with its focus on emotion, nature and the human heart. Craig exhibited in various years at the Society of British Artists (1854-1870/1871), the British Institution (1856-1865) and the Royal Academy in 1854 and 1861. His prices given at the first two exhibitions in 1856 ranged from five guineas to £100. His exhibiting address at the SBA in 1854 was his studio at 10 Stanhope Street, Park Place, Regent's Park.