This superb British realist portrait oil painting is by noted artist Gerald Leslie Brockhurst. It was painted in 1952 when Brockhurst was in his sixties and living in America since 1939. The sitter is Hope G. Simpson. The painting is a half length portrait of a striking blonde woman in a blue buttoned up garment. It is a strong portrait with bold colours and confident brushwork and an excellent example of his work.
Signed and dated 1952 lower right.
Provenance: Hiram Hoelzer New York label verso.
Portraits Inc. East Street new York. Label verso.
This superb French 19th century oil painting, La Source, location previously unknown according to the Jean Jacques Henner Museum catalogue of pictures, is a fantastic art historical re-discovery. It is by noted artist Jean Jacques Henner, a French painter, noted for his use of sfumato and chiaroscuro in nudes, religious subjects, and portraits. La Source, or Spring, is a magnificent, very large French Romantic oil painting depicting a subject for which Henner became famous. The painting was begun in 1880 and completed in 1881 and it was exhibited at the Paris Salon that year. The sitter is Dorothy Tenant (1855-1926) or Dolly, an English art pupil of Henner’s and also his model. (See her biography below). According to the artist’s diary of January 1880, working titles included Seated Woman Combing her Hair, Woman Seated at the Spring Combing her Hair, Seated Figure at the Spring. These were all pared down to La Source or The Spring. The painting was put away for a while whilst Henner worked on several sketches, before completing it for the Salon in 1881.
La Source is a painting of a beautiful young woman, Dolly, unclothed, combing her long auburn hair, sat on the edge of a pool or spring in a landscape. Her serene face and body are almost glowing against the darker landscape, all enhanced by the sfumato and chiaroscuro technique. Indeed, Dolly Tennant commented on the painting that her skin glowed against the darkness like a pearl. Beyond her is a patch of startling blue sky, reflected in the pool at her feet. The rough brush work in the flora and fauna around her, a precursor to French Impressionism, contrasts with the smoothness of her skin. A really stunning painting with excellent provenance that has been thoroughly researched. This painting is in the Henner Musee National catalogue of paintings by Isabelle de Lannoy, noted as location unknown and exhibited at the Salon in 1881. Also noted in the museum catalogue are two preparatory studies for La Source identifying the sitter as Dolly Tennant. One of the images is also shown on the front cover.
Signed lower right.
Provenance Exhibited Paris Salon 1881 no. 1125 entitled La Source.
1881 Goupil
1881 New York, Herman Schauss Gallery
New York, Mrs Morgan
1886 05/03 New York Am Art Ass.
Mary J Morgan Sale lot no. 229
1886 Montreal, Mr Donald Smith
Formerly in the collection of Mary Jane Morgan
Aitken Dott - The Scottish Gallery ref R9101.
Sotheby sale 30th Dec 1985.
Thomas Agnews and Sons.
Catalogue of Paintings for National Museum of Jean Jacques Henner, France, by Isabelle de Lannay, p174. La Source, Salon 1881, location unknown. Plus study of Dolly Tennant for La Source and another study for La Source.
The New York Market for French Art in the Gilded Age, 1867-1893 by Dr Leanne Zalewski, published by Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2022, page 39, La Source image 3.3.
John Alfred Arnesby Brown (1866-1955)
Wells Next the Sea Norfolk Landscape.
This beautiful British Edwardian Impressionist coastal landscape oil painting is by noted artist John Alfred Arnesby Brown. Painted circa 1910 the location is Wells Next the Sea in Norfolk. (The name is to distinguish it from other places of the same name). The artist lived and worked in Norfolk as well as spending much time in St Ives, Cornwall. The painting was formerly in the collection of Gloucestershire art collector Maurice Costley. The view is looking across the water towards Wells and the long stretch of the harbour front with a promenade. The distinctive landmark of the seafront, to the left in the painting, is the granary with its overhanging gantry on the quay, started in 1904 and finished in 1905. This has now been converted into flats, having ceased operating as a granary in 1990 but still has the overhanging gantry. Other landmarks to the right can be seen. Boats are dotted about the harbour and a blustery sky is over head. The beauty of this painting lies in the fantastic characteristic brushwork that makes Arnesby Brown's work so readily identifiable. They brushwork in the sky is just superb, with its bold strokes and impasto. The deceptively muted palette contains a vast range of subtle colours - in the water in the foreground and the seafront buildings. This is a beautiful British Edwardian oil painting of Wells next the Sea and an excellent example of Arnesby Brown's work.
Signed lower right.
Provenance: From the collection of the late Maurice Costley
Mandell's Gallery label verso.
This superb Victorian animal portrait oil painting is by noted listed artist Carl Suhrlandt. Painted in 1884 it is a lovely portrait of a cat and dog in a living room at supper time. The detail of the interior is all at animal eye level - the carpet, corner of the fire place and newspaper hanging over the chair. It is s stunning large and very well painted oil on canvas and a fine example of his work and late Victorian genre oil painting and one of our favourites. The colours and brushwork are superb and the painting is beautifully finished off in a gorgeous frame. Signed lower left and dated 1884.
This stunning much exhibited 1920's Scottish portrait oil painting is by noted Glasgow Girl artist Norah Neilson Gray. Painted circa 1923, the model for the painting was Rita McIlraith but the artist did not want to use her name in the title and it was called 'Exotic.'
Norah Neilson Gray was a Scottish artist known for her striking portraits and remarkable ability to capture the essence of the sitter. She achieved international status and recognition during her lifetime, and was one of the most esteemed female painters of the early twentieth century. She was a member of The Glasgow Girls, a group of women artists and designers active in Glasgow at the turn of the twentieth century. The group including Margaret and Frances MacDonald, Jessie M. King, Annie French, Helen Paxton Brown, Jessie Wylie Newbery, Ann Macbeth, Bessie MacNicol, Norah Neilson Gray, Stansmore Dean, Eleanor Allen Moore, De Courcy Lewthwaite Dewar, the silversmith Agnes Banks Harvey and Christian Jane Fergusson. Their paintings including Exotic were exhibited in Kirkcudbright in July and August 2010. The painting is a seated portrait of Rita McIIraith, sat in the lotus position in a meditative pose, gazing serenely before her. She is wearing a fabulous orange and floral off the shoulder dress and in her arms are yellow and white flowers. The heavy impasto and vibrant colours are superb. A stunning oil painting by an incredibly talented Scottish female artist whose works are in numerous international museums. Signed upper right.
Provenance Exhibited: Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts 1924, no.283, Ill.48
Exhibited the Royal Scottish Academy 1925, No. 374, entitled Exotic.
Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow Girls - Women in Art and Design 1880-1920, 1990-91, Illustrated fig. 315.
Glasgow Girls: Artists and Designers 1890-1930. Illustrated on page 52, Mr John W D Thomson.
Exhibited in Kirkcudbright in July and August 2010.
By clicking "Accept All" you agree to the use of analytical cookies that we use on our website to measure usage. These cookies provide information that will help us to improve our site and enhance user experience. By clicking "Manage Preferences", you can manage your consent and find out more about the cookies we use.
Manage your privacy preferences
These are functional cookies needed to keep our website working properly and give you the best experience when visiting our website.
We collect information about how visitors use our website. The information is in aggregate form and counts visitor numbers and other information to help us improve our website.
These cookies ensure that, if applicable, any adverts are properly displayed and targeted based on your browsing. They may also be used to integrate social media on our site.
We may use assets from 3rd parties on our website, for example, Google fonts, which enhance your viewing and visual experience.
