Description
In the most recent publication on the life and works of Barbosa, Lawrence Blackmore suggests that this watercolour and it’s companion ‘For My Next Trick’, may be associated with the book; ‘The Memoirs of Coral Pearl – the erotic reminiscences of a flamboyant 19th-century courtesan’, published in 1983 by Granada. The dust jacket was designed by Barbosa. He suggests that they may have been alternative designs put forward by him for this commission. He goes on to say that no work similar to this in subject matter has surfaced during his researches and Coral Pearl seems to be the most likely connotation. ‘Surprise Surprise’ can reasonably be traced to text in the book where Pearl reports that one gentleman preferred her to be clad ‘in only a pair of riding boots and a short leather topcoat’.
