MacConnal-Mason Gallery

MACCONNAL-MASON GALLERY

Est. 1893

MACCONNAL-MASON GALLERY

14 & 17 Duke Street St James’s London SW1Y 6DB Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 7693 Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 6797 www.macconnal-mason.com fineart@macconnal-mason.com

Chairman: David L. Mason, O.B.E. Directors: David M. Mason, Simon Carter, Marcus Halliwell, Michael Grist Gallery Manager: Richard Pikesley

Cover image: Henry Moret (French 1856-1913) “Belle-Île” Signed and dated ’98 Oil on Canvas 28⅞ x 23⅝ inches – 73.5 x 60 cms

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Foreword Following another year of continued growth for the Art Market, and our Gallery, I am delighted to present this catalogue of fine paintings and sculpture. is varied and diverse collection does, I believe, show the strength and depth of our stock; from Post-Impressionists to Modern British via Dutch Romantics, Nineteenth Century British and European works and the Marine paintings of Montague Dawson. is catalogue illustrates a selection of our extensive and important stock on exhibition in our two buildings on Duke Street, St. James’s here in central London.

As many of you will know, we exhibit at some of the world’s most important art fairs including Tefaf in Maastricht, Holland, e Masterpiece Fair here in London and e International Fine Art & Antiques Fair in New York.

Art is clearly seen as a serious area for investment worldwide and during this difficult economic period the art market as a whole has shown continued growth. However, it is a selective market and we, as a long established gallery, have been fortunate in being able to source works of the finest quality in the respective genres in which we deal. It is perhaps a truism but it is the finest examples of an artist’s work that will always be most sought after.

I would like to express my thanks to our clients worldwide for their continued support allowing us to offer works of this quality, and I and my colleagues look forward to welcoming you to our galleries, or to the fairs at which we exhibit.

David L. Mason, O.B.E. Chairman

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1 EUGÈNE-LOUIS BOUDIN (French 1824-1898) Deauville, Le Basin Signed and dated ’96 Oil on Panel 18½ x 14⅞ inches – 46.9 x 37.9 cms Provenance: Galerie Georges Petit, Paris; Palais Galliera, Paris, 28th November 1967, Lot 78; Wally Findlay Galleries, Chicago & New York; Private Collection, California (acquired from the above in 1968); Private Collection, Massachusetts Exhibited: New York, Wally Findlay Galleries, Eugène Boudin (1824-1898), Important Marines and Landscapes,1968, n.n. (titled Le Bassin aux Bois à Honfleur) Literature: Robert Schmit, Eugène Boudin (1824-1898), Vol.III, Paris, 1973, p.355, No.3551, illustrated

Eugène Boudin was a familiar figure in Deauville, a town on the coast of Normandy fashionable with Parisian society. He had built a house there in 1884 and frequently painted at the harbour in Trouville across the river and along the banks of La Touques where the ‘Boulevard Eugène Boudin’ now runs. Deauville had a thriving port, the subject of this composition with merchantmen alongside a quay, sails drying in the light breeze; beyond a further vessel has disgorged its cargo before harbour buildings. We see Boudin’s fascination with the complex web of rigging, masts and spars of the vessels, silhouetted against a cloudy sky rent with blue. Reflections glisten on the shimmering water of the harbour, the black hulls of the sailing vessels contrasting with the reflections of blue sky and white sails. is is a beautifully composed work, the balance of the vessels in the foreground against the weight of distance, a painting by an artist completely at ease with his subject.

His works can be found in museums in: London, National Gallery; Bayonne; Bordeaux; Caen; Cambrai; Dieppe; e Hague; Honfleur; Nantes; Paris; Rotterdam; Rouen; Stockholm; Cleveland; New York and Washington, National Gallery.

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2 EUGÈNE-LOUIS BOUDIN (French 1824-1898) Trouville, Les Jetées, Marée Basse Signed and dated ’88 Oil on Panel 13⅛ x 16⅜ inches – 33.5 x 41.8 cms Provenance: A. Diot, Paris; Paul Detrimont, Paris; Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., New York, 15th October 1969, Lot 19; Arthur Murray, New York (acquired at the above sale); Collection of Dr. Henry Heimlich, Ohio Literature: Robert Schmit, Eugène Boudin (1824-1898), Vol. II, Paris, 1973, p.359, No.2251, illustrated

Eugène Boudin travelled widely in France and the Low Countries but it was his native Normandy that provided him with so much of his subject matter. Boudin had a close affinity with the harbour at Trouville; he lived in Deauville the other side of La Touques, the river which separated the two towns. He built a house in Deauville, a resort town frequented by wealthy Parisians, in 1884, and was a frequent visitor to the harbour of Trouville.

He was attracted by the sea at both high, and low tide as in this composition. e beached boats, the sky’s reflections in the water, the curve of the harbour wall dividing the boats from the vessels seen sailing beyond, and the wall taking the viewer’s eye round to the signal mast and the cluster of buildings. Boudin’s characteristic use of red highlights guide the viewer through the composition adding to the sense of distance in this expansive sunlit work.

His works can be found in museums in: London, National Gallery; Bayonne; Bordeaux; Caen; Cambrai; Dieppe; e Hague; Honfleur; Nantes; Paris; Rotterdam; Rouen; Stockholm; Cleveland; New York and Washington, National Gallery.

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3 LAURENCE STEPHEN LOWRY, RA, RBA, LG, NS (British 1887-1976) Deal Sands Signed and dated 1947 Oil on Panel 10½ x 20 inches – 26.7 x 50.8 cms Provenance: with Frost & Reed, London; Mr. Becker, Southport; with Windsor & Eton Fine Arts, Windsor; Anonymous sale, Sotheby’s, London, 11th November 1987, Lot 111; Anonymous sale, Christie’s, London, 6th June 1991, Lot 112; Mr. and Mrs. T. S. Eliot Exhibited: Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery, L. S. Lowry An Exhibition to Celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Liverpool Trades Council, April – June 1973, No.49

In the immediate post-war era Lowry produced a number of more uplifting and brighter works both in terms of composition and palette. e seaside was a theme particularly close to his heart given his childhood family holidays at Lytham in Lancashire and Rhyl in North Wales. However, the present composition represents a rare foray by Lowry to Deal on the South Coast. Lowry first visited Deal, on the Kent coast between Ramsgate and Dover, in 1912 on a visit to Kent where he stopped at Canterbury producing a number of sketches, Westgate on Sea, Carlinge and Deal, this at a time when he was formulating his artistic style. e present painting is based on one of the sketches he made in 1912, and to which he returned some thirty years later. It is a view of ‘e Royal Hotel’, at the north end of the town seen from the pier with, to the right, a continuation of Beach Street, its houses backing on to the beach. Painted on a white ground it is a characteristically worked surface, he has incised the paint surface with the butt of the brush, and cut through the impasto to delineate windows in the houses to produce an almost sculptural surface. e composition itself is cheerful and uplifting; children in brightly coloured clothes far outnumbering adults, at the water’s edge and amongst the beached boats. It was painted in an era of optimism at a point in Lowry’s life when he had achieved significant success, and approaching retirement from his ‘day job’ could look forward to devoting himself to his painting.

His works can be found in museums in: London, Tate Britain; Manchester; Nottingham; Salford and New York, e Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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4 CHRISTOPHER RICHARD WYNNE NEVINSON, ARA, RI, ROI, RBA, NEAC, NS (British 1889-1946) From a Venetian Window Signed Oil on Canvas 25½ x 30½ inches – 64.8 x 77.4 cms Provenance: Purchased by R. D. Campbell, Pittsburgh, at the 1933 exhibition, and by descent; Anonymous sale, Christie’s, London, 6th November 1992, Lot 73; Mr. and Mrs. T. S. Eliot Exhibited: Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Carnegie Institute, 21st Carnegie International Exhibition, 1933, No.144: this exhibition travelled to Cleveland, December 1933; and Toledo

Christopher Nevinson described Venice as ‘...the first place to inspire me as an artist and it may be the last’ (C.R.W. Nevinson, Paint and Prejudice, London, 1937). rough the open window of a building on the Giudecca, the eye is drawn across the azure Venetian lagoon towards St. Mark’s Square. e Campanile and domes of the Santa Maria Della Salute dominate the skyline while the pale walls of the Doge’s Palace gleam in the morning sun. Complemented by the bright and abundant bouquet of flowers, the scene is imbued with a pervasive sense of beauty and optimism. e bold and deftly applied brushstrokes, particularly in the treatment of the water enhance the sense of movement and vivacity.

By the 1930s Nevinson had long since left behind the tenets of Futurism and Vorticism associated with his First World War subjects. His experiences in e Great War combined with a sense of alienation from his artistic peers and critics, undoubtedly drove Nevinson to seek out more conventionally picturesque subjects such as the present work.

Whether it be Manhattan through the cables of a bridge or France through the struts of a bi-plane, Nevinson regularly ‘framed’ his work and the window, shutters and awning provide a similarly strong, geometric surround to the main subject. Also the treatment of light, which spills in bright shafts through the window, is clearly reminiscent of his ‘searchlight’ subjects. Although the subject differs these elements arguably echo his earlier style and are quintessentially Nevinson.

His works can be found in museums in: Aberdeen; Birmingham; Cambridge; Dublin; Leeds; Leicester; Liverpool; London; Manchester; Newcastle-upon-Tyne; Paris; Montreal; New York and Ottawa.

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5 HENRY MORET (French 1856-1913) Belle-Île Signed and dated ’98 Oil on Canvas 28⅞ x 23⅝ inches – 73.5 x 60 cms Provenance: Galerie Abels, Cologne; Private Collection, France

Although born in Normandy, it was Brittany that held a life-long fascination for Henry Moret. He painted the landscape and rocky, exposed coastline of the mainland from the distant Cape Finisterre to the islands, Ouessant Groix, and as in this composition Belle-Île.

Moret had undergone an academic training and debuted at the Salon in 1880. However, he was drawn to Impressionism, and the work of Paul Gauguin (1848-1903). He was also drawn to Pont-Aven in Brittany and the artists’ colony in which Gauguin was such an influential figure. Although an admirer of Gauguin, Moret’s work owes a considerable debt to that of Claude Monet (1840-1926). Working ‘en plein air’, the juxtaposition of brushstrokes and the importance of light in Moret’s work amply demonstrate this debt.

In the present composition he has portrayed an inlet in jagged cliffs of the Côte Sauvage, the south-west coast of the island that feels the full force of the Atlantic. Moret was attracted to these rocky deserted coastal scenes, in this work, imbued with a tranquility not found in all such compositions. He enjoyed the contradictory aspects of the natural worlds, the green clad tops of the cliffs, the raw rock itself and the sea and sky, turbulent or calm; he was a painter of landscape but with a vigour and vibrancy of colour that went beyond Impressionism.

His works can be found in museums in: Paris; St. Petersburg; Boston and Washington DC.

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6 HENRI EUGÈNE AUGUSTIN LE SIDANER (French 1862-1939) La Fontaine, Saint-Paul de Vence Signed Painted in 1925 Oil on Panel 15⅞ x 12¾ inches – 40.3 x 32.4 cms Provenance: Galerie Georges Petit, Paris; Sotheby’s, London, 25th June 1996, Lot 335; Private Collection, Lake Forest, Illinois, USA Exhibited: Paris, Galerie Georges Petit, Exposition Le Sidaner, 1925, No.22; Brussels, Galerie des Artistes Françaises; Nantes, Galerie Mignon-Massart, Le Sidaner, 1931, No.68 Literature: Yann Farinaux-Le Sidaner, Le Sidaner, l’Oeuvre peint et gravé, Milan, 1989, No.569, illustrated p.215

Henri Le Sidaner was a frequent visitor to the South of France, a refuge from his home in Gerberoy sur l’Oise.

He painted in Villefranche sur Mer, along the coast from Nice, and in Saint-Paul de Vence, the subject of this composition, the same year. Le Sidaner studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and following his academic training he lived and worked in Étaples in Normandy before moving to Beauvais and subsequently Gerberoy. Le Sidaner has been described as ‘the last of the Impressionists’, he was clearly influenced by, and was a great admirer of, their work – admiration that worked both ways, Alfred Sisley (1839-1899) was the owner of Soir by Le Sidaner.

It was for works such as this, the exploration of light effects at dusk, that he was to become renowned. He was closely associated with the Symbolists and in terms of his broken brushwork owes much to Georges-Pierre Seurat (1859-1891), seen in this composition of Saint-Paul de Vence. Here we see his interest in the disparate light effects in the square of this old medieval town, the light in the window and the glistening water of the fountain, together with the juxtaposition of brushstrokes and unexpected use of colour. Exhibited in Galerie Georges Petit in 1925, it was one of a group of paintings from the Riviera shown by Le Sidaner that year.

His works can be found in museums in: Châlons; Douai; Dublin; Dunkirk; Nantes; Paris; Rome and Pittsburgh.

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7 HENRI MARTIN (French 1860-1943) Vallon Ensoleillé Signed and dated 1897 Oil on Canvas 23⅝ x 18⅛ inches – 60 x 46 cms Provenance: Collection Paul Riff, France

Executed in 1897, the present work is something of a precursor to Henri Martin’s work which followed his move to Labastide-du-Vert three years later. It also contrasts with the majority of his work from the 1890s which consisted mainly of symbolist mural commissions and figurative subjects; the latter bringing commercial success, being an essential element of the fashionable bourgeois interior.

A small valley flows into the floodplain, the water long since dried up and distinguished instead by various trees and bushes. Subtle textured fields of colour and lengthening shadows create a wonderfully spacious perspective.

In a number of places the unprepared canvas is left exposed; this seems to represent dappled sunlight, with the differing texture of canvas and paint reflecting the same distinction between landscape and light. e complexity of the lush, verdant pasture is rendered using a myriad of colours, yellow and orange through to burnt sienna and ochre, which adds to the pervasive sense of heat. e application of paint is broadly Impressionist in style, however, the texture hints at the influence of Georges-Pierre Seurat (1859-1891) and the Post-Impressionist style which Martin would adopt and make his own over the coming decades.

His works can be found in museums in: Bayonne; Beziers; Bordeaux; Carcassonne; Cahors; Dijon; Douai; Lille; Montpellier; Mulhouse; Nantes; Paris, Musée d’art Moderne, Palais des Beaux-Arts; Toulouse and Montreal.

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8 PEDER MØRK MØNSTED (Danish 1859-1941) Springtime in the Forest Signed and dated 1895 Oil on Canvas 34¼ x 49⅝ inches – 87 x 126 cms Provenance: Private Collection, Denmark

Peder Mønsted was born in Eastern Denmark before moving to Copenhagen where he enrolled at the Royal Academy of Art in 1875. He had already exhibited at the Academy the previous year at the tender age of fifteen, he was to fulfil his early promise over a long and successful career.

Mønsted was a consummate painter of landscapes; the forests around his home were a frequent source of subject matter. He was in his element painting the tender green foliage of springtime pierced by the morning sunlight.

He had an extraordinary facility for painting water, the reflections and still pools of a woodland stream and the shimmering shallow water as it runs bubbling over stones and rocks.

In this composition the eye is left to wander up the wooded banks and around the bend in the stream to the shaft of light beyond, while the viewer is at ease in a calm and tranquil forest setting.

His works can be found in museums in: Aalborg and Bautzen.

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9 PEDER MØRK MØNSTED (Danish 1859-1941) A Sunlit Winter Landscape Signed and dated 1919 Oil on Canvas 28⅛ x 38 inches – 71.5 x 97.5 cms Provenance: Private Collection, Sweden

Peder Mønsted had studied at Prince Ferdinand’s Drawing School in Aarhus before enrolling at the Academy in Copenhagen in 1875. Here he studied with Julius Exner (1825-1910) and would have been exposed to the work of Christen Købke (1810-1848) and Peter Christian Skovgaard (1817-1875). Subsequently he studied under Peder Severin Krøyer (1851-1909).

Mønsted’s renowned reputation however lies with his landscapes, forest scenes and landscapes under snow. Here we see his technical virtuosity in the depiction of the virgin snow, and in its trampled state on the lane, cut through with sledge runners, feet and hooves, creating shadows in the sunlight. We see the remarkable range of colours used, blues, greens and pinks with thick white impasto. An exponent of ‘plein air’ painting, Mønsted spent much of his career painting in the forests and villages of Denmark and Scandinavia, returning to complete his compositions in his studio in the outskirts of Copenhagen.

His works can be found in museums in: Aalborg and Bautzen.

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10 CARL VILHELM HOLSØE (Danish 1863-1935) Interior with the Painter’s Wife Reading at the Window Signed Oil on Canvas 18½ x 19½ inches – 47 x 49 cms Provenance: Private Collection, Denmark

Carl Holsøe, along with his contemporary Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864-1916), were the principle exponents of interior scenes which are now considered a hallmark of late nineteenth century Danish painting. It was a subject that had been studied for centuries but Holsøe’s treatment is highly idiosyncratic and many of his unconventional methods are evident in the present work. e viewer is presented with a single wall rather than a three-dimensional space. e obvious light source is from the central window; however, a second source is evident from the beautifully rendered reflective lustre on the plates, candlesticks and teapots. A lone figure, in this case the artist’s wife, sits absorbed in a book. As so often with his work, her face is almost entirely concealed. Much therefore, is withheld and left to the viewer’s interpretation, which is in itself intriguing. is is further complemented by the application of paint; shimmering, impressionistic brush strokes are employed throughout but in particular to the carpet and curtains, meaning this ostensibly ‘still life’ is actually full of subtle movement. Holsøe worked with an extremely disciplined and economical palette; browns, greys and whites creating a wonderfully harmonious scene which is serene yet beguiling.

His works can be found in museums in: Copenhagen and Munich.

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11 JEAN BÉRAUD (French 1849-1935) La Réception Signed Oil on Canvas 10½ x 13⅞ inches – 26.6 x 35.2 cms Provenance: Private Collection, New York (before 1996); William Doyle Galleries, New York, 6th November 1996, Lot 13, illustrated; Jean-François Heim, Paris; Private Collection, EU Exhibited: Paris, Musée Carnavalet, Jean Béraud et le Paris de la Belle Époque, 29th September 1999 – 2nd January 2000, No.21 Literature: Patrick Offenstadt, Jean Béraud, 1849-1935, e Belle Époque: A Dream of Times Gone By, Catalogue Raisonné, Cologne, 1999, pp.176-177, No.193, illustrated in colour.

Jean Béraud was the pre-eminent painter of Parisian life in the last decades of the nineteenth century. It was he who defined the ‘Belle Époque’. A highly successful artist who produced only some five hundred paintings, Béraud recorded Paris in its golden age, a city of fashion houses that embraced the finest in literature, opera, fashion and welcomed the wealth of the world to its doors. Béraud painted life not only in the elegant streets of Paris, but also in the theatres, churches and billiard halls, but it is perhaps for his portrayal of Parisian soirées that he is best known.

In the present composition we see a gathering of gentlemen, the raconteur seated holding court; in the foreground an expressive white gloved gesture emphasizing a point between two men conversing. By the fireplace a mustachioed figure exuding boredom and in the doorway a gentleman observing, perhaps the recipient of a wistful look from the elegantly dressed women with their hosts and husbands.

Painted in the early 1880s the well-connected Béraud, a friend of Marcel Proust, would have been of this métier.

To the viewer the painting exudes wealth and success in the figures dressed in their finery, in the surroundings and the delicate giltwood chairs, the paintings, sculpture, the marble fireplace and the lighting, it perfectly captures Paris in the age of the ‘Belle Époque’.

His works can be found in museums in: London, National Gallery; Liège; Lille; Paris, Musée D’Orsay; Tours; Troyes and New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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12 EUGEN VON BLAAS (Austrian 1843-1932) e Love Letter Signed and dated 1897 Oil on Panel 33¼ x 22 inches – 84.4 x 55.9 cms Provenance: Private Collection, USA

As well as his technical virtuosity, e Love Letter is a superb example of Von Blaas’ ability to capture mood. A Venetian beauty narrates a letter, just delivered from a suitor, to her companion; the reader’s body language along with the widening smile and rapt expression convey her excitement with great subtlety, while her companion, barely pausing from her needlework, looks up with a delighted yet knowing glance. As subtle as the emotional narrative, are the colours of the ladies’ garments which are intricately patterned in a broad spectrum of shades, the softness of tone and hue created with a wonderfully harmonious palette. e pointed inclusion of other elements complement the atmosphere and allude to the timelessness of the subject; the finely drawn coil of wool hanging from the chair and the fecund vine while the aged charm of Venice is evoked by warm brickwork glimpsed through decaying render.

Venice had been a vital staging point for Grand Tourists since the eighteenth century who would return home with paintings of its architectural landmarks. By the late nineteenth century however, they craved a more emotive and human memoir of the city. Be they flower girls or fruit sellers, Von Blaas’s sitters were all native Venetians. is integrity of subject combined with his skills as a colourist and draughtsman, explain the artist’s universal and enduring appeal.

His works can be found in museums in: Bournemouth; Leicester; Nottingham; Sheffield; Vienna; Melbourne and Sydney, Art Gallery of New South Wales.

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13 GEORGES CROEGAERT (Belgian 1848-1923) A Distinguished Visitor Signed and inscribed Paris Oil on Panel 28½ x 36¼ inches – 72.4 x 92 cms Provenance: Private Collection, UK

Georges Croegaert was one of the foremost exponents of ‘Cardinal painting’, a genre that became increasingly popular towards the end of the nineteenth century. e growing liberal movement of the age was, by definition, strongly anti-clerical, and the perception of the supposedly humble and selfless church hierarchy living in lavish, opulent palaces, eating and drinking luxurious food and wine from the finest china and silverware provided a prime target for satire. Based largely in Paris, a group of artists including Andrea Landini (1847-1912), Jean Vibert (1840-1902) and François Brunery (1849-1926) answered the demand for paintings depicting and mocking this hypocrisy.

In the present work a senior member of the Catholic hierarchy is unable to resist the offer of a second sweet delicacy, while his hosts, in their silk finery, sit contentedly, surrounded by beautifully crafted Empire furniture.

A highly ornate mantel clock is flanked by fine ceramics containing fresh, exotic flowers while refreshment is served from a superb silver tea set; even the white cats and their litter are well fed. While the subject is clearly humorous, the draughtsmanship is exceptional; the detail of the décor, such as the silk table cloth, the tassels on the rug, the intricacy of the candelabra, all display the artist’s ability to render so plausibly an extraordinary variety of textures.

His works can be found in Museums in: Brussels; Paris and Vienna.

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14 JOHANNES CHRISTIAAN KAREL KLINKENBERG (Dutch 1852-1924) Montelbaanstoren, Amsterdam Signed Oil on Canvas 31¾ x 47½ inches – 80.5 x 121 cms Provenance: Acquired by the parents of the past owner by the 1950s; Private Collection, Norway Exhibited: Berlin, Internationale Kunstausstellung, 1896, No.2097

Johannes Klinkenberg was born, and received his formative training, in e Hague. He joined the Pulchri Studio which had been set up in 1847 and included among its members artists such as Jozef Israëls (1824-1911), Andreas Schelfhout (1787-1870) and Anton Mauve (1838-1888). ere were not many such studios in e Hague and this provided an environment where artists could work, compare and discuss artistic movements of the day.

Klinkenberg’s distinctive style combines the meticulous discipline of the Dutch Romantic School with a palette and application of the emerging Impressionist ideal, the deftly applied brushwork capturing the intricacies of the architecture and the canals that flow past. Klinkenberg was a great elemental painter and particularly excelled in the depiction of water, with the myriad reflections, eddies and ripples showing the unique character of a surface in constant flux. e Montelbaanstoren, focal point of the present work, was originally built in 1516 as part of the defences of the city. It was extended into its current form in 1606 by Hendrick de Keyser (1565-1621) who was a key exponent of a late mannerist form of architecture known as ‘Amsterdam Renaissance’.

His works can be found in: Alkmaar; Amsterdam; Dordrecht; Enschede; Haarlem; e Hague; Leiden; Nijmegen; Rotterdam and Utrecht.

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15 PETRUS VAN SCHENDEL (Dutch 1806-1870) A Busy Night Market with a Vegetable Stall Signed and dated 1865 Oil on Panel 17⅞ x 14¼ inches – 45.5 x 36.3 cms Provenance: Williams & Son, London; Mr Guy Horne, New York; Sotheby’s, New York, 30th October 1980, Lot 12; with MacConnal-Mason Gallery, London, 1987; Private Collection, UK

Petrus van Schendel was born in Belgium although his antecedents were Dutch; he trained and worked in Antwerp before moving to Holland in 1828, living in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and e Hague and finally settling in Brussels where he began the first of numerous market subjects. e candlelit scene was a Dutch tradition, harking back to the seventeenth century, in particular the work of Gottfried Schalken (1643-1706). e single light source of the candle provides a hypnotic focal point, its shimmering reflection highlighting the diverse textures of fruit, flesh and cloth. It also serves to enhance the tension of the moment, literally bringing the seller into the spotlight, as she gestures to her fellow stall holder.

Working almost entirely with shadow demands exceptional draughtsmanship; all aspects of the composition are rendered with meticulous attention to detail while the wider setting is created with little more than silhouette. e application of paint is so masterfully applied, that brushstrokes are undiscernible. is almost peerless ability was recognized in 1845 with a gold medal at a Brussels exhibition ‘Market by Moonlight’ and again in 1857 at the seminal ‘Art Treasures’ exhibition in Manchester.

His works can be found in museums in: London, HM e Queen; Amiens; Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum; Brussels, e National Gallery; Groningen; Hanover; Munich; Nice; Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuringen; Stuttgart; Montreal and Melbourne.

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16 BAREND CORNELIS KOEKKOEK (Dutch 1803-1862) A Winter Landscape Signed and dated 1856; also inscribed on a label attached to the reverse with the artist’s seal Oil on Panel 12¼ x 16⅜ inches – 31 x 41.5 cms Provenance: Johan and Joachim Sailer, Graz, 1899; by whom bequeathed to the Landesbildergalerie, Graz, Cat.1903, No.26; with Franz Schebesta’s Erben, Vienna, 1960; with P. A. Scheen, e Hague, 1960; Mr. R. P. Schoonheim, Wassenaar; Private Collection Literature: F. Gorissen, B. C. Koekkoek 1803-1862, Düsseldorf, 1962, No.56/29; P. A. Scheen, Lexicon Nederlandse Beeldende Kunstenaars 1750-1880, e Hague, 1981, No.221

Barend Cornelis Koekkoek became firmly identified with the Romantic Movement that swept through Europe in the first half of the nineteenth century. In painting, the spirit of romanticism was embodied in a reaction against industrialization and urbanization, with landscapes depicting the picturesque and a sublime view of nature. e present composition is a quintessential example of Dutch Romanticism; travellers on a snowy path under a magnificent oak tree representing the strength and beauty of nature before a fortified tower. e tower is perhaps a fortified gate over an icy moat, the crumbling buttresses of the castle walls over-grown with foliage convey the passing of the decades. To the right, a manor house and village, and silhouetted against the skyline in the distance, a tall church spire projecting spiritual power. e essence of Koekkoek’s work, aside from the composition itself, resides in his use of light and colour. e shafts of sunlight playing on the brickwork of the tower and the pool of sunlight suffusing the snow and silhouetting the old oak. e azure sky with pink and purple hued clouds presage snow in this exemplar of Romanticism.

His works can be found in museums in: Sheffield; Amsterdam; Antwerp; Berlin; Bremen; Breslau; Cologne; Dijon; Dordrecht; Enschede; Groningen; Haarlem; e Hague; Leeuwarden; Leiden; Leipzig; Nantes; Otterlo and New York.

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17 WILLEM KOEKKOEK (Dutch 1839-1895) e Nieuwmarkt in Amsterdam in Winter Signed Oil on Canvas 33¾ x 49 inches – 86 x 124.5 cms Provenance: Private Collection, EU

Willem is justly considered one of the finest painters from the extraordinary Koekkoek dynasty of artists. Born in Amsterdam he received tuition from his father, Hermanus (1815-1882), and uncle, Barend Cornelis (18031862) and went on to specialise particularly in town scenes. Like his illustrious forebears, he has an almost unparalleled ability to depict the intricacy and majesty of fine Dutch architecture, faithfully capturing the texture of brick, glass, metal and canvas. e present subject is De Waag, meaning weigh house, in the Nieuwmarkt area of Amsterdam. Originally built in the fifteenth century as a gate in the city walls, it had various guises during the 1800s including a furniture workshop, fire station, guildhall and even a site for corporal and capital punishment. Its numerous facades, turrets and roofs must have been hugely inspiring for Koekkoek; the regard in which he held the composition is undoubtedly reflected by his use of such a large scale canvas.

Under a leaden, winter sky the sun bathes the snow-covered building in a fleeting glow, emphasizing its presence and grandeur, while the local population go about their day-to-day lives. Close inspection gives each figure a character and individuality that is highly plausible. Such faithful evocation of humanity provides a wonderful contrast to the dramatic and imposing setting resulting in one of Koekkoek’s most important and successful compositions.

His works can be found in: London, National Gallery; Amsterdam, Historisch Museum; e Hague; Kleve and Montreal, Museum of Fine Arts.

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18 JOSEPH FARQUHARSON, RA (British 1846-1935) e Day was Sloping Towards his Western Bower Signed Oil on Canvas 39 x 59 inches – 99 x 150 cms Provenance: London, Christie’s, 20th July 1923, Lot 136 (as A Winter’s Night), sold for 125gns; Private Collection, UK Exhibited: Ferens Art Gallery, Hull, 1906 (catalogue untraced)

As an unrivalled painter of glowing winter sunsets, the present work with a rising full moon is comparatively rare for Farquharson. Born in Edinburgh he received his initial artistic training at the Trustees Academy but in 1880 he spent the first of a number of years in Paris under the tutelage of Carolus-Duran (1837-1917), who encouraged his pupils to prioritise form and colour over preliminary sketch and rigid compositional structure. is reflected one of the pervasive artistic movements of the age, painting ‘en plein air’ and with haste, in order to capture the mood, light and atmosphere of a subject. To adhere to this practise in the depths of a Scottish winter Farquharson constructed a mobile studio complete with a large window and wood burning stove.

Such close observation yielded extraordinary dividends which are plain to see the in the present work; complex and varied blue-green hues create a myriad of lengthening shadow on the deep blanket of snow. Like one of his principle influences, Peter Graham (1836-1921) there is a strong sense of the sublime in nature; its beauty intrinsic to its awesome power. is is enhanced by the footprints and tracks, evidence of human activity which is slowly being reclaimed and erased by the falling snow. Farquharson was well versed in Shakespeare, Burns and Milton often employing quotes as titles for his painting; the present title comes from Mariana by Alfred Lord Tennyson and complements the dramatic and lyrical nature of this work.

His works can be found in museums in: Aberdeen; Cardiff; Edinburgh; Glasgow; Liverpool; London and Manchester.

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19 FREDERICK WATERS WATTS (British 1800-1862) Dedham Lock Oil on Canvas 42 x 58 inches – 106.7 x 147.3 cms Provenance: Private Collection, UK

e first rush of water appears through the gates as a lock-keeper makes way for an approaching sail barge. e distinguished tower of Dedham church stands silhouetted against a cloud-strewn sky while an abandoned barge is attended to in the foreground. A figure, possibly the lock-keeper’s wife, stands outside the cottage as cattle are left to roam free in the verdant landscape. e trees are in full-leaf suggesting high summer in a landscape that is the very epitome of English rural serenity.

Watts early life is not well documented but it seems probable that he enrolled in the RA schools in 1817. Four years later he was living in Hampstead at the same time as John Constable (1776-1837) and although there is no record of them ever meeting it seems highly unlikely that their paths did not cross considering the size of Hampstead at the time and the marked influence that Constable had on Watts’ style. Like Constable, Watts eschewed artistic license and strived to record the landscape as honestly as possible. e large canvases used by Watts and Constable had previously been reserved for subjects considered ‘important’ by the artistic establishment, namely religious, noble or historical episodes; rendering an ostensibly humble scene on such a scale was therefore innovative and pioneering and gives due reverence to the majesty of the English landscape.

His work can be found in: London, Victoria and Albert Museum.

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20 DAVID JAMES (British 1853-1904) Rolling and Foaming Signed and dated ’96 Oil on Canvas 24⅞ x 50 inches – 63.2 x 127 cms Provenance: Walter Myran, Scotland; with MacConnal-Mason Gallery, London; Private Collection, Australia

Ranks of powerful rollers march ceaselessly towards land, the central wave reaches its peak and begins to break, the crest translucent and suspended in mid-air, while the mottled foam of its predecessor rumbles onto the shore. e powerful swell in the middle distance as well as the clearing clouds on the horizon suggest a recent storm has churned the ocean, the effects of which are now reaching land. With nothing but sea and sky there is a marked absence of humankind resulting in a hypnotically powerful portrayal of the elements.

David James painted his first seascapes in the early 1870s. He was of Irish descent and travelled widely, gaining inspiration from the coasts of Norfolk, South Wales and Yorkshire but particularly Cornwall and the Scilly Isles.

His extraordinary ability to render the myriad and ethereal quality of the sea bought him critical and commercial acclaim, a decade of Royal Academy exhibits and a fine villa in Maida Vale overlooking Regent’s Canal.

His work can be found in: London, National Maritime Museum.

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21 FRANCIS SMITH (British fl.1750-1780) View across the River ames to Lambeth, with Westminster Bridge and St. Paul’s Cathedral Beyond Oil on Canvas 13½ x 44¼ inches – 34.3 x 112.4 cms Provenance: with Leger Galleries, London, 1969; Private Collection, UK

Little is known of Francis Smith’s background or artistic training; it is thought that he was born in Naples but was exhibiting in London from 1768 until his death in 1780, presumably changing his name following his arrival in the capital. He was certainly well travelled, touring and painting extensively in Italy but also journeying to the Orient with Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore (1731-1771). Baltimore was the 4th generation Proprietor of Maryland, a state which he ruled ruthlessly but never set foot in, treating it instead as a valuable source of income with which to fund his extravagant and scandalous lifestyle and travels. Much of his time was spent in Italy, particularly Naples and it is fair to assume that this is where he and Smith met. e painting of cities and their expansion began in the early eighteenth century and became particularly fashionable in London during the 1740s with the arrival of Canaletto (1697-1768). Smith would undoubtedly have been aware of the Italian master’s seminal depictions of ames-side architecture and bridges. e work of Samuel Scott (1702-1772), known as ‘the English Canaletto’, was also widely exhibited and acclaimed throughout the 1760s. While there is no recorded connection between Smith and these two pillars of riverscape painting, the dramatic sky, meticulous architecture, and carefully rendered nature of water, are clear evidence of their influence on his work.

His works can be found in: London, City of London Corporation Collection, e Guildhall and Whitby, e Captain Cook Memorial Museum.

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22 JOHN ATKINSON GRIMSHAW (British 1836-1893) Glasgow Docks Signed and dated 10.92 Oil on Canvas 12½ x 19½ inches – 31.7 x 49.5 cms Provenance: Private Collection, UK; Private Collection, USA

John Atkinson Grimshaw painted numerous dock scenes in the 1880s, a subject which would form an important and defining part of his oeuvre. Liverpool, Scarborough and Glasgow were vibrant centres of industry, trade and commerce at the end of the nineteenth century creating widespread wealth and opportunity. While this was generally embraced by Victorian England the speed of advancement, the changes to land and cityscape, also caused unease and became a metaphor for the loss of values from a more innocent past.

It seems Grimshaw was aware of this and by presenting such subjects in his uniquely identifiable style, imbues them with a sense of poetic mystery. In the present work carriages roll through the rain-drenched streets, figures are mere silhouettes against the inviting glow of boutique windows, their social status alluded to by sartorial details such as top hats and aprons; the vast merchant fleet that fuels the city’s expansion is hinted at by a series of masts, and all these elements lit by nothing more than gas lamps and an iridescent moon.

Grimshaw used various techniques to achieve his luminescent compositions; new pigments became available in the latter half of the nineteenth century, in particular viridian green which was a vital component in his treatment of the night sky. ick white ground with a thin glaze of green or yellow allow the lamps to ‘glow’ while sand was mixed with pigment giving the sodden road in the present work an almost three dimensional quality. Taken as a whole, Grimshaw succeeds in softening the harsh edges of contemporary urban society, creating instead a beautiful and intriguing nocturne.

His works can be found in museums in: Bradford; Gateshead; Halifax; Harrogate; Huddersfield; Hull; Kirklees; Leeds; Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery; London, Tate Gallery and the Guildhall Art Gallery; Preston; Scarborough; Wakefield; Whitby; Hartford; Kansas; Minneapolis; New Haven; New Orleans; Rhode Island; Victoria and Port Elizabeth.

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23 JOHN ATKINSON GRIMSHAW (British 1836-1893) Late October Signed and dated 1882 Oil on Board laid down on Panel 18 x 14 inches – 46 x 35.5 cms Provenance: Private Collection, UK

John Atkinson Grimshaw began painting, what are broadly referred to as his ‘lane scenes’, from 1880; grand houses by suburban lanes provided a rich source of inspiration for the artist.

In the present work, a maid servant is halted by the transient beauty of a crimson, Autumnal sunset. at she is witnessing the same scene as the viewer is utterly compelling. Her costume is beautifully drawn, while her body language clearly communicates how she is spellbound by the unfolding view. Particularly with the works of Dickens, the issue of social status and its dramatic potential was hugely popular amongst the Victorian public.

Grimshaw reflects this to a degree; the maid and the large house in which she presumably works, prompt the viewer’s imagination into an ambiguous, and potentially scandalous narrative. e technique with which Grimshaw creates these ‘golden’ subjects differs markedly from his nocturnes; the latter, whether a townhouse or dock scene, are constructed with a myriad of light sources from the moon, reflection or gas lamp. e autumnal subjects are instead, bathed in a varied but all-encompassing glow, creating a scene that is rich in atmosphere, fascinating yet utterly serene.

His works can be found in museums in: Bradford; Gateshead; Halifax; Harrogate; Huddersfield; Hull; Kirklees; Leeds; Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery; London, Tate Gallery and the Guildhall Art Gallery; Preston; Scarborough; Wakefield; Whitby; Hartford; Kansas; Minneapolis; New Haven; New Orleans; Rhode Island; Victoria and Port Elizabeth.

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24 GUY CARLETON WIGGINS, NA (American 1883-1962) Federal Hall, Wall Street Signed Painted circa 1950-60 Oil on Canvas laid on Board 16 x 12 inches – 40.6 x 30.5 cms Provenance: Private Collection, USA

Federal Hall on Wall Street is arguably the most distinctive building in New York. 26 Wall Street was originally the site of New York’s City Hall, built in 1699-1703 and the seat of government when a colony of Britain.

However, it also served as the first Capitol Building of the United States of America under the Constitution, the first Congress met there and George Washington was inaugurated as President there in 1789. e building was demolished in 1812 and the current building was opened as a Custom’s House in 1842 before becoming the U.S. Sub-Treasury in 1862; it is now a museum. e viewer is standing in Broad Street, which is bisected by Wall Street, looking towards the portico of the Federal Reserve. Although overlooked by numerous tall buildings it holds its own, a squat, powerful monument.

Wiggins, the son of Carleton Wiggins (1848-1932) an academician and landscape painter, studied with his father before enrolling at the National Academy. He became an outstandingly successful painter living and painting in New York City in winter and spending the summers in Old Lyme, Connecticut, home to a colony of artists working in the American Impressionists style, and under whose influence he worked. Wiggins was renowned as a painter of the City in winter, he perfectly captures the intrepid workers of Wall Street braving the winter’s chill, the flags blowing in the snow filled breeze.

His works can be found in museums in: Brooklyn; Chicago; Dallas; Hartford; Los Angeles; Newark; New York; Richmond; Syracuse and Washington.

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25 CHRISTOPHER RICHARD WYNNE NEVINSON, ARA, RI, ROI, RBA, NEAC, NS (British 1889-1946) On the Downs Signed Oil on Canvas 16 x 20 inches – 40.6 x 50.8 cms Provenance: with e Fine Art Society, London, September 1966 Exhibited: Possibly London, e Royal Academy, 1946, Cat. No.551 (as House on the Downs); Possibly London, E. Brown & Phillips, e Leicester Galleries, Memorial Exhibition of Pictures by C.R.W. Nevinson, May-June 1947, Cat. No.48 (as House on the Downs)

A significant member of the Avant-garde Movement and founder member of the London Group in the early years of the twentieth century, Nevinson was in addition the sole British signatory to Filippo Marinetti’s (18761944), predominantly Italian, ‘Futurist Manifesto’. Nevinson, the son of war correspondent, Henry Woodd Nevinson (1856-1941), volunteered in 1914, was discharged two years later and appointed an official war artist in 1917, producing bleak and chilling images of battlefields and the skies above. Following the war, he visited New York and Paris, his paintings still demonstrating elements of his Futurist period before turning towards a more naturalistic view of, in particular, landscapes. In stark contrast to his portrayals of the battlefields, in the 1930’s he painted the rolling fields of England. During the Second World War he continued to live in Hampstead, London and painted views in and around the city. Particularly during these war years, Nevinson was drawn to the Downs in Sussex to paint the bucolic landscape, rolling hills and distant views of which the present composition is one of his finest.

His works can be found in museums in: Aberdeen; Birmingham; Cambridge; Dublin; Leeds; Leicester; Liverpool; London; Manchester; Newcastle-upon-Tyne; Paris; Montreal; New York and Ottawa.

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26 CHRISTOPHER RICHARD WYNNE NEVINSON, ARA, RI, ROI, RBA, NEAC, NS (British 1889-1946) War in the Air Signed Oil on Canvas 21¾ x 18½ inches – 55.3 x 47 cms Provenance: Mr. Valentine-Keenan, 1940’s; ence by descent Exhibited: London, Burlington House, Canadian War Memorials Exhibition, January–February 1919

e present work relates to a commission of the same title from Lord Beaverbrook in 1918 for the Canadian War Memorials. While the cloud formations are similar in both works, the present is distinguished by the lone aircraft, its solitude emphasizing the sense of space and altitude, as well as its vulnerability. e major river, glimpsed through the clouds, clarifies the scale. With the vast landscape below and the aircraft above, the viewer is left with an extraordinary and rare perspective.

Following the outbreak of war, Nevinson joined the Friend’s Ambulance Unit and went on to join the home service section of the e Royal Army Medical Corps before finally being appointed an official war artist. His early depictions of hostilities employed Futurist techniques, reflecting the industrial scale and manner of the conflict, but by the final years of the war this had been replaced by the more conventional realism evident in the present work. Despite failing health and nervous exhaustion he accepted the Beaverbrook commission, and drawing on the experience of flights over the Western front along with aerial photographs, succeeds in creating a plausible and arresting skyscape.

His works can be found in museums in: Aberdeen; Birmingham; Cambridge; Dublin; Leeds; Leicester; Liverpool; London; Manchester; Newcastle-upon-Tyne; Paris; Montreal; New York and Ottawa.

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27 CHARLES GINNER, ARA (British 1878-1952) Covent Garden Signed Painted in 1932 Oil on Canvas 22 x 30 inches – 55.8 x 76.2 cms Provenance: omas Balston; J. W. Freshfield, by whom purchased at the 1952 exhibition Exhibited: London, Goupil Gallery, Charles Ginner, 1932, catalogue not traced; London, Leger Galleries, Paintings by Charles Ginner, February-March 1933, No.4; London, Arts Council of Great Britain, Second Anthology of British Painting 1935-50, 1951, No.37; London, Leicester Galleries, Artists of Fame and Promise I, July 1952, No.164; London, Arts Council of Great Britain, Tate Gallery, Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings by Charles Ginner, 1953, No.17 Literature: C. Ginner, Notebooks III, p.107

A significant member of the Camden Town Group and a close friend of Harold Gilman (1876-1919) and Spencer Gore (1878-1914), Ginner was significantly influenced by his French background. Born in Cannes to English parents, Ginner was an enthusiastic admirer of Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), whose use of paint and colour was to remain with Ginner throughout his career. Of equal significance stylistically was the period spent working in Paris, firstly in an engineering office and subsequently that of an architect before embarking on a career as a painter. is is particularly evident in Ginner’s series of London views begun soon after his arrival in London in 1910; e.g. Piccadilly Circus of 1912 (Tate Gallery), London Bridge, 1913 (Museum of London), All Souls Langham Place, 1924 (Fitzwilliam Cambridge) and continuing throughout his career to Bethnal Green Allotments, 1943 (Manchester City Art Gallery).

Covent Garden of 1932 is one of the finest in this series. It epitomizes the essence of London, to the left the seventeenth century portico of St. Paul’s Church, designed by Inigo Jones (1573-1652), to the right the eighteenth century Palladian architecture of the market and before us the elegant Georgian town houses. Amongst these architectural gems, perfectly rendered by Ginner with his thick paint applied with short brushstrokes, the bustle and turmoil of the fruit and vegetable market. As in Victoria Station (Atkinson Art Gallery, Southport) or Flask Walk, Hampstead (National Trust) Ginner portrays a snapshot of London life.

His works can be found in museums in: Aberdeen; Bristol; Cambridge; Leicester; London, e Imperial War Museum and Tate Britain; Manchester; Oxford and Southampton.

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28 DOROTHEA SHARP, RBA, ROI, PSWA (British 1874-1955) e Cliff Path Signed Oil on Canvas 35½ x 29½ inches – 90.2 x 74.9 cms Provenance: Private Collection, USA

A consummate painter of children, Dorothea Sharp had the rare and enviable capacity to portray the joyful innocence of childhood. Although she lived much of her life in London having studied in London and Paris, Sharp was a frequent visitor to Cornwall in the early decades of the twentieth century attracted by the artists’ colonies in the far West and by the clarity of light; she moved permanently to St. Ives in the years 1940-46. It was here that she produced some of her finest works, of which this is a characteristic example. It exemplifies the ease and facility with which she captures the gait and movement of children, and conveys so much in the relationships of one to the other. It is a painting suffused with warmth and sunlight, a light breeze wafting over the cliff tops from the sea beyond, a painting of summer and childhood. In compositions such as this, she clearly epitomizes the movement known as ‘British Impressionism’, demonstrating a familiarity with Impressionism together with the clarity of light her novel use of colour and the spontaneity of her brushwork.

Her works can be found in museums in: Bournemouth; Cardiff; Dundee; Harrogate; Hastings; Manchester; Newcastle and Penlee.

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29 BEN NICHOLSON, OM (British 1894-1982) Mar 55 (Sextant) Signed and titled on the backboard Pencil and Oil on Card laid on the Artist’s Prepared Board 12¼ x 10¾ inches – 31 x 27.5 cms Provenance: Gimpel Fils, London; F.L.S. Murray; Marlborough New London Gallery, London, 1964; Mr and Mrs Seymour Sher; Christie’s, London, 29th March 1982, lot 45; Waddington Galleries, London, where acquired by the past owner Exhibited: Zurich, Galerie Charles Lienhard, Ben Nicholson, January-February 1959, Cat. No.23; Hannover, Kestner-Gesellschaft, Ben Nicholson, 26 February–5 April 1959, Cat. No.43, illustrated, with tour to Städtische Kunsthalle, Mannheimer Kunstverein, Hamburg and Museum Folkwang, Essen Literature: J.P. Hodin, Ben Nicholson: e Meaning of his Art, Alex Tiranti, London, 1957, illustrated Fig.46

Many of Ben Nicholson’s earliest works were still lifes, presumably due to his father’s mastery of the genre, and it was a subject that he would return to throughout his career. During the 1950’s, the decade of the present work, he received numerous awards including first prize at the Carnegie International in Pittsburgh, the first International Guggenheim painting prize, first prize at e Bienal de São Paulo in Brazil, as well as a retrospective at the Tate, all of which elevated his standing internationally. e vibrant palette characterised Nicholson’s works of this period; the vivid planes of red and blue are repeated in each case with subtly lighter tones suggesting shade and providing form to the central structure. ese are emphasised by bold fields of black which are in turn juxtaposed with intricate lines providing a strong sense of rhythmic fluidity. e pale background of cream and yellow further delineates between object and space.

His works can be found in museums in: Aberdeen; Brighton; Cambridge; Edinburgh, National Gallery of Modern Art; Kendall; Leeds; Liverpool; London, Tate Britain; Sheffield; Stromness and York.

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30 WALTER RICHARD SICKERT (British 1860-1942) Nude Before a Mirror, Fitzroy Street Painted in 1906 Oil on Canvas 15 x 12 inches – 38 x 30.5 cms Provenance: Robert Haines, Australia; Anonymous sale, Christie’s, London, 21 May 1965, Lot 77, where purchased by John Christopherson; with Belgrave Gallery, London; Private Collection, UK Literature: Wendy Baron, Sickert: Paintings and Drawings, Yale University Press, 2006, p.323, Cat. No. 270.3, illustrated

e present painting was executed shortly after Sickert had rented a studio in Camden Town in 1905. A significant work in Sickert’s oeuvre, it pre-dates, as Dr. Wendy Baron comments, “his Mornington Crescent interiors of 1907 … In several of his Mornington Crescent paintings of 1906 … Sickert experimented with the effects of subdued, filtered light” It is a work from a period which shows the debt Sickert owed to James Abbot McNeil Whistler (1834-1903) under whom he studied, and to Edgar Degas (1834-1917) with whom he was friends following a sojourn in Paris in 1883.

Sickert had briefly studied at the Slade before working under Whistler, painting in the 1880’s music hall scenes, and in the 1890’s painting frequently in Venice. However it was as one of the founders of the Camden Town Group that Sickert is renowned.

His works can be found in museums in: London, Tate Gallery, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Cambridge, Paris, New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Ottawa, Canberra.

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31 LYNN RUSSELL CHADWICK, CBE (British 1914-2003) Sitting Figure I and Sitting Figure II: Two Bronzes Stamped with the artist’s monogram, numbered 804S 5/9 and dated 82 (female figure); stamped with the artist’s monogram, numbered 805S 5/9 and dated 82 (male figure) Both conceived in 1982 and cast in an edition of 9 Bronze Height 8 inches – 20.3 cms Provenance: Osborne Samuel Gallery, London; Purchased in 1984 by the father of the past owner; ence by descent Literature: Dennis Farr & Éva Chadwick, Lynn Chadwick Sculptor: With a Complete Illustrated Catalogue 1947-1988, Oxford, 1990, Nos.804S and 805S, illustration of other casts p.310; Dennis Farr & Éva Chadwick, Lynn Chadwick Sculptor: With a Complete Illustrated Catalogue 1947-1996, Oxford, 1997, Nos.804S and 805S, illustration of other casts p.334; Dennis Farr & Éva Chadwick, Lynn Chadwick Sculptor: With a Complete Illustrated Catalogue 1947-2005, Aldershot, 2006, Nos.804S and 805S, illustration of other casts p.342

Lynn Chadwick had established himself internationally as one of the foremost post-war sculptors through mobiles, stabiles and abstract constructions in the 1950s. ese abstract constructions developed into animal forms on skeletal legs frequently of an aggressive nature before gradually softening into more anthropomorphic and figurative forms.

Chadwick produced commissions for the 1951 Festival of Britain, exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 1952 and in 1956 being awarded the International Sculpture prize. He was awarded the CBE in 1964 and can be regarded as the natural successor to Henry Moore (1898-1986).

Chadwick’s seated figures occur as a solitary figure, in pairs and occasionally as a group of three. He produced these in a variety of sizes and materials, from monumental works constructed from sheets of stainless steel to editions of more intimate bronzes. is pair, the male figure with a rectangular head, the female having a triangular head, both in flat polished vertical planes show the softening of the form previously referred to.

Chadwick’s women can be austerely severe but here the reverse is true, whereas the striated surface of the second figure lends it a certain masculinity.

His works can be found in museums in: London, Royal Academy and Tate Britain; Paris; Stockholm and Venice.

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32 DAME BARBARA HEPWORTH, DBE (British 1903-1975) Two Forms (Atlantic) Each form numbered ‘4/10’ (on the base) Conceived in 1961 Polished Bronze Height 3⅓ inches (tallest) – 8.5 cms Provenance: with Gimpel Fils, London, 1962, where purchased by the family of the past owner Exhibited: London, Whitechapel Gallery, Barbara Hepworth: An Exhibition of Sculpture from 1952-1962, May-June 1962, No.68 (another cast), where lent by the artist; Rochester, University of Rochester, Memorial Art Gallery, e Arthur and Molly Stern Collection, 1962, No.13 (another cast); London, Tate Gallery, Barbara Hepworth, April-May 1968, No.119 (another cast) Literature: Alan Bowness (Ed.), e Complete Sculpture of Barbara Hepworth, 1960-1969, Lund Humphries, London, 1971, Cat. No.309, p.32, (pl.50, another cast illustrated black & white)

Barbara Hepworth can be considered as one of the most important and influential of women artists. A friend of Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957), Jean Arp (1886-1966), Piet Mondrian (1872-1944), Georges Braque (18821963) and Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) she, with her husband Ben Nicholson (1894-1982), was hugely influential in the development of Abstraction. Hepworth worked with the European émigrés Naum Gabo (1890-1977), Walter Gropius (1883-1969) and László Moholy-Nagy (1895-1946) in London before moving to St. Ives following the outbreak of war. It was in the early 1930s that she turned to Abstraction, her sculptures became simple shapes reliant on the relationship between forms in terms of space, size and texture, as in ree Forms of 1935 (Tate Britain), or Discs in Echelon also of 1935 (Tate Britain), cast in 1959 in bronze. In the late 1950s, having been created a CBE in 1958, with success at home and internationally following the Venice Biennale of 1950, Retrospectives of 1951 and 1954, commissions for the Festival of Britain in 1951 and winning the Grand Prix at São Paulo Biennale in 1959, Hepworth turned to bronze editions. She cast Discs in Echelon of 1935, and in 1961 the present composition Two Forms (Atlantic), naturalistic in form as of rocks worn smooth by the action of the sea, each with a hollow, a reduced form of the hole that is characteristic of so much of her work. e simplicity of the forms and the relationship between the two oval objects placed on a rectangular base create a sense of harmony directly related to the natural world and Hepworth’s surroundings.

Her works can be found in museums in: Edinburgh; Leeds; London; St. Ives; Wakefield; New York; Pasadena and Toronto.

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33 LAWRENCE HOLOFCENER (American b.1926) Maquette for Allies Signed, dated ’97and numbered ‘L holofcener 43’ and further signed with monogram (on the back of the base); inscribed with title (on the front of the base) Bronze with a brown patina on a wooden base Length 20½ inches – 52 cms (including the wooden base) Provenance: e Artist

Allies, installed in 1995 at the junction of Old and New Bond Street in London has rapidly become an icon of the city. Commissioned by the Bond Street Association and unveiled by Princess Margaret to mark fifty years of peace, it depicts Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, firm friends and allies conversing on a bench.

Lawrence Holofcener produced an edition of seven of these life size works and a further edition of fifty of the reduced version, of which this is one. He is an actor and writer, but above all a sculptor who has exhibited widely and received numerous international commissions both public and private, of which Allies is internationally renowned. He has captured an extraordinary likeness of both Roosevelt and Churchill, but above all has achieved a real sense of the warmth and friendship which was of such significance to their relationship – it undoubtedly deserves the epithet, ‘iconic’.

His works can be found in museums in: Bristol; Isle of Wight; London; Bordentown and Princeton.

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34 LAWRENCE TOYNBEE (British 1922-2002) Mid-Week Practice at Stamford Bridge Signed with initials and dated ’53 Oil on Canvas 35 x 49½ inches – 89 x 125.7 cms Provenance: with e Fine Art Society, London Exhibited: London, e Arts Council of Great Britain, Football, No.68, 1953; York, City Art Gallery, Lawrence Toynbee, 1985, No.6

A fine sportsman in his youth, and at Oxford; following service in the army Lawrence Toynbee enrolled at the Ruskin School of Drawing in Oxford. Early in his career he embarked on a series of paintings of railways, a passion since childhood before, in the early 1950s, producing his first sporting subjects for which he was to become renowned. He first came to public notice in 1953. e Football Association, to celebrate its 90th Anniversary offered £3,000 in prize awards for depictions of “a game of Association Football in England …”. It was a groundbreaking exhibition and seventeen hundred works were submitted, of these thirty-two prizewinning works and one hundred and twenty-seven other selected works were exhibited at Park Lane House London in 1953. ese were then exhibited by the Arts Council in a touring exhibition of the same year.

Lawrence Toynbee’s Mid-week Practice at Stamford Bridge was one of the prize winners along with such distinguished works as L.S. Lowry Going to the Match, and Paul Feiler Mousehole v Paul which received an honourable mention.

Toynbee’s painting of Stamford Bridge shows the old Ground and Stands, with the dog track and its floodlights. e players practice under the supervision of coaches wearing thick coats against the chill. It was an interesting and courageous composition and subject to choose; a far cry from Match Day with tens of thousands of fans filling the here deserted stands.

His works can be found in museums in: Blackburn, Museum and Art Gallery; Coventry, Herbert Art Gallery and Museum; Cumbria, Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery; London, Royal Academy, e Government Art Collection, Lord’s Museum and e National Portrait Gallery; Merseyside, e Atkinson Art Gallery; Oxford, New College, University of Oxford, St. Edmund Hall and Worcester College; Twickenham, e World Rugby Museum and York, York Museums Trust.

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35 A. J. RUSKIN SPEAR, CBE, RA, PLG, ARCA (British 1911-1990) At the Snooker Table Signed and inscribed on the stretcher Oil on Canvas 30 x 42½ inches – 76.2 x 108 cms Provenance: Private Collection, USA

Ruskin Spear was born in Hammersmith and won a scholarship to the Hammersmith School of Art before furthering his studies at the Royal College of Art. He remained in London all of his life and was a great observer of its extraordinary diversity. He was also a fine portrait painter whose sitters included notable figures such as Laurence Olivier, Harold Wilson, Fred Trueman and Francis Bacon.

His style of portraiture, although much less abstract, can be compared to Bacon’s; key features are exaggerated and heightened, with the emphasis on body language and character rather than a conventional mirroring of a sitter. In the present work there is a strong focus on the central figure’s nose, the rest of the face being rendered with little more than light and shade. e same can be said for his opponent chalking his queue, whose face, obscured by shadow, takes on an almost spectral quality. e harsh lighting polarizes the composition, bathing the green baize and snooker balls into wonderfully vibrant fields of colour which creates a tangible atmosphere that is, at once, tempting and menacing.

His works can be found in museums in: Aberdeen Art Gallery; Leeds, City Art Gallery; London, e Arts Council of Great Britain, e Imperial War Museum, e National Portrait Gallery and e Royal Academy of Arts.

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36 HELEN LAYFIELD BRADLEY, MBE (British 1900-1979) “R101 Airship” Signed with a fly insignia; also signed, inscribed and dated 1972 on a label attached to the backboard Oil on Board 18 x 24 inches – 45.8 x 61 cms Provenance: e artist; ence by family descent

‘“Look Peter at the Beautiful Airship, it is the famous R101 and will soon be on its way to India”, Peter and I watched it sail away towards Manchester, then we went to the shops in Hollins Road and coming back Peter ran to tell Joe Brienley (our milkman) about the R101, “Joe Plum” he said, “did you see the airship”, and as Peter ran back to me I said, “Peter why call Joe, Joe Plum its not very nice”, but Peter laughed and the year was July 1930. R101 destroyed by fire over France 6 Oct 1930 and all 48 lives were lost.’ (sic) Announced in 1925 but not completed until 1929 the R101 was to be the jewel in the crown of the Airship Development Committee's accomplishments. Measuring 777ft in length, and weighing 257,395 lbs the vessel was built in order to transport 100 passengers and 42 Crew at a cruising speed 63 mph to the farthest reaches of the British Empire including India, Australia and Canada. On its maiden foreign voyage on 4th October 1930 complications rose after enduring issues with the ship’s oil pressure system and severe weather conditions. e ship came down near Beauvais, France and 48 souls were tragically lost. e inquiry into the events cited a sudden and catastrophic failure as the only explanation marking an end of British attempts to create lighterthan-air aircraft.

Her works can be found in museums in: Oldham; Saddleworth and Salford.

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37 MONTAGUE DAWSON, RSMA, FRSA (British 1895-1973) A Roll to Loo’Ard Signed Oil on Canvas 24 x 36 inches – 61 x 91.4 cms Provenance: Estate of Joseph E. Coberly, Jnr, Los Angeles, California, early 1960s; ence by descent

e present work is a superb example of Dawson’s comparatively rare deck scenes which afford the viewer the same perspective as a member of the crew. A clipper rolls perilously to port as she climbs a huge wave; seas wash across the deck while the crew battle the raging elements. ere can be few clearer illustrations of the hardship that sailors faced in the age of the clipper ships. Yet the clearing skies, and the sun glinting on the cloud, suggest they are perhaps through the worst and fairer weather lies ahead.

Dawson was hugely commercially successful during his lifetime, rumoured to have regularly earned one hundred thousand pounds a year, a figure surpassed only by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Yet marine painting had been an important and integral aspect of British art for centuries with an emphasis on strict, formal and above all nautically accurate compositions. e distinction between Dawson’s painting and that of his predecessors is the extraordinary sense of drama, movement and human interest, without the slightest compromise on detail, which makes his work accessible, fascinating and true.

His works can be found in museums in: Cambridge; Edinburgh; London and Newport Rhode Island.

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38 MONTAGUE DAWSON, RSMA, FRSA (British 1895-1973) e ‘Ann McKim’ leaving Foochow for Home Signed Oil on Canvas 24 x 36 inches – 61 x 91.4 cms Provenance: with Frost & Reed, London; with Bendann Art Galleries, Baltimore, USA; Private Collection, USA since c.1960 Exhibited: L.G.G. Ramsey, Montague Dawson, RSMA, FRSA, Leigh-on-Sea, 1967, p.35, No.124

Against the mountainous backdrop of Foochow harbour, in the haze of dawn, the Ann McKim takes on final supplies before weighing anchor and setting sail across a glassy calm. Another clipper hauls in sail while local craft, a junk and a barge go about their business. Close inspection reveals Dawson’s meticulous attention to detail; the figures on the bowsprit, the crew hauling in the anchor as well as the complex network of rigging.

Signed in 1842, the Treaty of Nanjing ended the First Opium War, leaving five Chinese treaty ports, including Foochow open to Western traders and merchants. ere was huge demand for opium, tea and spices from the Orient and the clipper ships became the vessel of choice to carry such cargo. e Ann McKim was built in 1833 at the Kennard and Williamson shipyard in Baltimore. 143 feet in length and weighing 494 tonnes, she was commissioned by local industrialist Isaac McKim and named after his wife. Although there were advances in design over the following decades, with her narrow hull and square rig, she is justifiably considered to be the first of the clipper ships.

In order to ensure accuracy in his historical subjects, Dawson owned extensive source material and would often have period ship-models in the studio. is, combined with first-hand knowledge of the sea, gleaned during naval service in the First World War, and a masterful handling of paint, give his work an almost cinematic quality and justifies has standing as the foremost marine artist of the twentieth century.

His works can be found in museums in: Cambridge; Edinburgh; London and Newport Rhode Island.

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39 MONTAGUE DAWSON, RSMA, FRSA (British 1895-1973) e Sunlit Solent Signed Oil on Canvas 24 x 36 inches – 61 x 91.4 cms Provenance: Private Collection, UK; with MacConnal-Mason Gallery, London; Private Collection, UK

In ideal conditions for racing, yachts scud across the choppy waters of the Solent; the powerful breeze fills and stretches every inch of sail while running clouds reveal bright sunshine which flickers across the churning seas to the horizon. e present work is testament to Dawson’s ability to display contemporary as well as historical craft with consummate accuracy and painterly skill.

A key factor in Dawson’s approach, and appeal, is his ability to convey the relationship between all aspects of the composition. is is particularly true when it comes to the elements; in the present work there is a synergy between light, sea and sky, which perfectly conveys the conditions in which the race is taking place. is in turn, imbues the painting with a tremendous atmosphere which is further enhanced by the perspective that places the viewer amidst the drama. e rendering of the waves, created with layers of deftly applied and varied colour, creates a peerless depiction of the sea’s true character. As Dawson himself explained ‘…no wave is exactly the same as any other…To get the painting to live is the most difficult part. You have to respect your subject, be almost frightened by it. ere’s nothing like the boil and the swell of rough sea’ (Montague Dawson, from an interview with journalist Edward Matthews).

His works can be found in museums in: Cambridge; Edinburgh; London and Newport Rhode Island.

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40 TERENCE TENISON CUNEO, CVO, OBE, RGI (British 1907-1996) Storm over Southall Shed Signed; titled and signed (on canvas verso) Oil on Canvas 18⅛ x 26⅛ inches – 46 x 66.5 cms Provenance: Acquired direct from the artist by the past owner Exhibited: London, e Mall Galleries, Terence Cuneo 80th Birthday Exhibition, 1987; e Princess Alice Hospice Exhibition of Paintings Literature: Terence Cuneo, e Railway Painting of Terence Cuneo, New Cavendish Books, London, 1984, p.36 (illustrated in colour); Narisa Chakra, Terence Cuneo, Railway Painter of the Century, New Cavendish Books, London, 1990, pp.106, 107 (illustrated in colour)

Terence Cuneo had a passion for steam and is internationally recognized as being the finest painter of steam locomotives and their environs. In this composition Cuneo has two engines waiting on the tracks outside the Southall Engine Shed with a characteristic wealth of detail in the background. In the foreground is a ‘Prairie Tank’, a 5101 Class 2-6-2, workhorse of the GWR, or Great Western Railway. e locomotive was originally designed by Charles Collett of Churchward in 1903, this being an updated version. In the background is a ‘Mogul’, a 2-6-0 locomotive used also by the GWR as a general purpose engine, able to pull local stopping trains or the mainline express.

Cuneo not only portrays the engines in meticulous detail but also captures the mood and atmosphere, truck workers and engineers half seen in the steam and smoke and the dark of the storm overhead. Cuneo had worked for the War Artist’s Advisory Committee, providing illustrations of factories and wartime events. Following the war he worked extensively for railway companies producing a series of posters and paintings. Although in huge demand as a painter to the Establishment, whether it be for e Coronation, Regimental Mess Portraits or infrastructure projects, it was as a painter of steam that he is internationally renowned and for which his commemorative statue was erected at Waterloo Station.

His works can be found in museums in: London, Collection of HM the Queen and the Royal Institution.

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41 SIR WILLIAM RUSSELL FLINT, PPRWS, RA (British 1880-1969) Studio Accessories Signed Watercolour on Paper 14¾ x 21¾ inches – 37.5 x 55 cms Provenance: with Pieter Wenning Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa; Private Collection, South Africa

Surrounded by vibrantly coloured garments, a striking, exotic model stands, hand on hip and semi-nude without a hint of self-consciousness, while a seamstress completes her work on the next dress to be tried on.

Flint undoubtedly drew inspiration from the Aesthetic Movement which attempted to define and prioritise pure beauty over any sociological, political or religious meaning. e principle exponents of this work were artists such Albert Joseph Moore (1841-1893), Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912) and John William Godward (1861-1922) whose models were depicted in classical settings wearing transparent robes, languidly engaged in some idle pastime. Flint used similarly ancient setting such as ruins and vaults and the indolence of his models forces the viewer to focus on their overt femininity. He had a unique ability to convey the female form, perfectly capturing both the definition of musculature and the subtlety of flesh tone. In the present work this and the patterned material contrasts sharply with the neutral background of the interior, giving the models an extraordinary presence and imbuing them with a tangible strength as well as a powerful sensuality.

His works can be found in museums in: Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery and London, Victoria and Albert Museum.

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42 SIR WILLIAM RUSSELL FLINT, PPRWS, RA (British 1880-1969) Billiard Bar, Laigueglia Signed; also signed and inscribed indistinctly on the backboard Watercolour on Paper 19½ x 26½ inches – 49.5 x 67.4 cms Provenance: Sir Robert Rankin, Liverpool; ence by family descent Exhibited: Liverpool, Corporation of Liverpool & Walker Art Gallery, Fifty-Fifth Autumn Exhibition, including Collective Exhibit by W. Russell Flint, ARA, RWS, Nos. 124 to 201, 1927, No.190

e proprietors of a bar take a few moments to relax prior to opening their doors for another day’s service. e empty space, designed to be full, creates a strong sense of anticipation which is enhanced by the causal intimacy in the figures’ body language. It is also a strongly self-referential work with the artist’s easel and paint-box clearly visible in the foreground along with a preliminary sketch of the present work. Flint’s work is characterised by a wonderfully serene and enigmatic atmosphere that is created through subtlety and stillness. Few artists’ worked in watercolour with such command and control; varied levels of saturation are employed to create, form, shade and texture resulting in a masterfully sharp composition.

Located in Northern Italy Laigueglia is a small town in the Savona province of Liguria. Flint travelled extensively in Europe between the wars, with the unique beauty of the Mediterranean landscape, light and people providing ample inspiration.

His works can be found in museums in: Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery and London, Victoria and Albert Museum.

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FAIRS AND EXHIBITIONS MacConnal-Mason exhibit annually at the following fairs.

For dates, opening times and venues, please see our website www.macconnal-mason.com or contact the gallery.

March e European Fine Art Fair Maastricht June Masterpiece London October e Harrogate Antique Fair Harrogate October Fine Art Asia Hong Kong October e International Fine Art and Antique Dealers Show New York

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Website: www.macconnal-mason.com Email: ďŹ neart@macconnal-mason.com