Original Watercolour
Marzia Colonna MRBS - Watercolour
“Untitled (Two Figures)”
An elegant signed 1985 work with direct Maitland Estate provenance
Key Details
Artist: Marzia Colonna MRBS
Title: “Untitled (Two Figures)”
Medium: Watercolour on paper
Support: Paper
Signature: Signed lower right in pencil; verso inscribed “To Tony With Love, Marzia”
Dimensions: Image: 11 × 15 cm (4.3 × 5.9 in)
Condition: Artwork well preserved; mount shows light staining; frame with minor age wear. Presented in original timber frame with glazing.
Provenance: Sold by the estate of Antony Maitland, winner of the 1961 Kate Greenaway Medal.
Description
This refined and expressive 1985 original watercolour by Marzia Colonna MRBS presents two stylised figures rendered with her characteristic lyrical abstraction and emotional sensitivity. Though intimate in scale, the composition has presence and quiet sophistication — ideal for collectors of Modern British art or buyers seeking a distinctive, academically grounded figurative work.
Small, personal works from the mid-1980s represent an important period in Colonna’s development. The personal dedication on the reverse, “To Tony With Love, Marzia,” strongly supports a direct connection with illustrator Antony Maitland, adding meaningful historical and collector interest.
About the Artist
Born in Pisa, Italy in 1951, Marzia Colonna studied at the Istituto Statale d’Arte in Pisa before continuing at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence. She moved to the UK in the 1970s and established a distinguished career as a painter, collage artist and sculptor. Based in West Dorset, Colonna is known for her elegant abstraction and powerful figurative compositions, exploring human relationships and narrative symbolism through simplified yet expressive forms.
She has exhibited widely across the UK and internationally, including at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. A Member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors (MRBS), her work is held in private and corporate collections, with public commissions including Salisbury Cathedral, Sherborne Abbey and Winchester City Council.
Estimated Date
Dated 1985.
Provenance & Notes
Sold by the estate of Antony Maitland, distinguished British illustrator and winner of the 1961 Kate Greenaway Medal. The dedication confirms a personal association between artist and illustrator, enhancing both historical context and collector appeal.
