The other day there was an interesting story in the Daily Telegraph about the bed-ridden activity of a Cyril Fellowes, when aged 13. In 1902 he was laid up with a bad hip in a Harley Street clinic. To pass the time he wrote letters to a number of the "great and good" (the DT correspondent, Nick Britten's, term) requesting their autographs. Undaunted by rank or position and with the aid of addresses probably provided by his father, he wrote to such luminaries as Rudyard Kipling, Baden-Powell, W.G. Grace and Scott (embarking on Antartic fame). Perhaps less well known among Cyril's list was the sporting artist John Charlton (1849-1917). Charlton provided a lively sketch of a galloping horse's head (illustrated in the DT) above his full signature: he usually signed his drawings JC.
John Charlton was born at Bamburgh, Northumberland and while apprenticed to an iron-master, Sir Isaac Bell, he was also attending Newcastle Art School under the tuition of William Bell Scott. Coming to London he worked for a time at the South Kensington Museum, first exhibiting a painting of "Harrowing" at the Royal Academy in 1870. In 1899 he was commissioned by Queen Victoria to paint her arrival at St Paul's Cathedral for the Diamond Jubillee Service,(RA 1899). Charlton regularly exhibited animal paintings and portraits at the RA until 1904. He became a member of the Royal Society of British Artists and both the Royal Institutes of Painters in Watercolours and of Painters in Oil-Colours.
His often large scale equestrian portraits are an advance on the solemnity of Sir Francis Grant but fall short of the light and colour brio of a Sir Alfred Munnings' hunting group. Charlton's book illustrations of hunting are drawn with the knowledge of personal experience.
Many of his portraits were painted on commission and remain largely unseen in the houses of the descendants of his patrons. There are a few of his pictures in northern galleries: The Gray Art Gallery, Hartlepool (1); Laing AG, Newcastle (1); Shipley AG, Gateshead (2); and South Shields Museum (1). Once the home of the Morgan family (who became Viscounts Tredegar), Tredegar House, Newport, South Wales now belongs to Newport City Council, and here there are five paintings by Charlton. They include two hunting portraits (painted in 1884 and 1893); a portrait of the family's keeper, Hazell, and spaniels (1904); and a seated portrait of Godfrey Morgan (1831-1913) with his Skye terrier "Peeps". As a captian in the 17th Lancers Godfrey Morgan took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War. Charlton also painted a retrospective picture of the 'Charge' in 1905 showing Morgan astride his horse "Sir Briggs": Both Peeps and Sir Briggs are buried in the garden of Tredegar House!
John Charlton returned north and died at Lanercost, Cumberland in November 1917.
In the DT sketch the horse's outstretched head and neck, all fire and vigour, can be identified by its bridle as being a military charger, (thank you, Sally Mitchell). Sadly, Cyril Fellowes died of blackwater fever in India, aged 25, four years before Charlton's death. His autograph book was sold at Hanson's Auctioneers, Etwall, Derbyshire on 19 June for a disappointing £440. The DT had mentioned an estimate of £5,000!.
Tuesday 24 June 2008
Sunday 8 June 2008
George Morland's Pictures. Note 6
There is a small shop in Shaftesbury that cannot be described as an Antique Shop - perhaps a collectors' shop (regimental badges, postcards, a few pieces of small china and silverware) are better words but, importantly, it has three large bookcases in it. There are shelves for local history, guides, sporting books illustrated by Lionel Edwards, and of many other subjects, as well as a shelf of Art books. The last category is limited, but I discovered a slender, cloth-bound octavo volume of "George Morland's Pictures" by Ralph Richardson (1897). For all I know, it may be found quite commonly, but I had not seen it before yesterday. Since neither I nor the owner of the shop had the right change, he kindly reduced the price by one third!
George Morland (1763-1804) was a wayward genius painting what we would describe today as 'rustic scenes': carthorses in barns, sheep sheltering beneath a hedge, pigs snugly in their styes, a winter pond, and shore-scapes with wreckers and smugglers; all beautifully painted and usually in quite small scale. He was not a sporting painter in the normal sense, but painted many hunting and shooting scenes, the latter being particularly charming. By the age of ten Morland was exhibiting at the Royal Academy. In a newspaper advertisemnt of a sale to be held by "Mr Greenwood, at his Rooms in Leicester Square, this day [18 February 1791] at 12 o'Clock. A small collection of Cabinet Pictures of the Foreign and English Schools, particularly the Chef D'Oeuvre of ..... ", Morland's name heads the distinguished list of artists. Elsewhere, in a similar advertisement, George Stubbs's name lies in fifth place behind Morland's second. He lived at a fast pace, initially invigorated and later incapacitated by drink. He was prolific, for the most part to keep his creditors at bay. While in a debtors' prison from 1800 until shortly before his death, he is said to have produced 192 pictures.
Within a few years of his death no less than four authors had written their biographies of his life: William Collins in 1805; F.W. Blagdon (1806); J. Hassell (1806); and the artist's friend George Dawe RA (1807). I once had Ralph Richardson's book titled: "George Morland, Painter, London" that was published in 1895. Like many reference books that one possesses I had not read it from cover to cover. In failing to do so I was not aware of the possibility of the publication of my Shaftesbury purchase. The Preface to the latter explains that Richardson had invited the owners of paintings and prints by Morland "to communicate to me the details of their collections." He was particulalry interested in discovering the original paintings for the many prints made after Morland's work, often engraved in mezzotint by the artist's brother-in-law, William Ward (who had married Morland's sister, and brother of James Ward RA whose sister was married to Morland!). The results of this request led to the publication of "George Morland's Pictures" two years later. This 'supplement' contains over 90 pages of details of individual paintings and similarly nine pages of prints - all with the owners' names and and addresses supplied!
Times have changed, but even now I hesitate to (re)publish some items from this burglars' directory of potential swag. Sir Walter Gilbey of Elsenham Hall, Essex was a well-know early collector of sporting and other paintings and he had 24 pictures by Morland. On the other hand, like many others named, G.A. Blackburn of Northgate, Halifax had a single "Winter Scene: oak tree; farmer; young man with hay under his arm going towards three sheep, 17 x 26 inches. Signed." Some entries have a note of provenance. Mrs E. Blathwayt of Huntspill Rectory, Bridgewater owned: "Morland's Last Sketch (that of a bank and a tree). Pencil. Morland's mother gave this sketch to the grandfather of Rev. Mr Blathwayt, Rector of Huntspill, Bridgewater who purchased from Morland 'The Rutland Fencibles'". The holdings by Public Galleries are included. The Corporation Galleries of Art, Glasgow had (and hopefully still have) four of Morland's paintings. Their Superintendant, James Paton, had a painting of "Gipsies. 19 x 24 inches, unsigned and undated, that was engraved by William Ward in 1792". The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and Asiatic Society, Calcutta each reported holding a single picture by Morland. A more tenuous note shows that while visiting Prince Hohenlohe at Castle Duino, near Trieste, Princess Mary of Thurn and Taxis in her "Travels in Unknown Austria (MacMillan, 1896) mentions: "There are two pictures here that I am convinced are by Morland". But she does not describe them.
For those searching for the provenance of a sporting picture this kind of listing of Morland's work (rarely seen for other artists) is of great interest, although by no means complete due to his immense output during his short life. As well as providing glimpses of contemporary collectors' enthusiasms, this book demonstrates Morland's standing at the turn of the eighteenth century and for many years afterwards, compared to that of, say, George Stubbs - a 'ranking' now reversed.
George Morland (1763-1804) was a wayward genius painting what we would describe today as 'rustic scenes': carthorses in barns, sheep sheltering beneath a hedge, pigs snugly in their styes, a winter pond, and shore-scapes with wreckers and smugglers; all beautifully painted and usually in quite small scale. He was not a sporting painter in the normal sense, but painted many hunting and shooting scenes, the latter being particularly charming. By the age of ten Morland was exhibiting at the Royal Academy. In a newspaper advertisemnt of a sale to be held by "Mr Greenwood, at his Rooms in Leicester Square, this day [18 February 1791] at 12 o'Clock. A small collection of Cabinet Pictures of the Foreign and English Schools, particularly the Chef D'Oeuvre of ..... ", Morland's name heads the distinguished list of artists. Elsewhere, in a similar advertisement, George Stubbs's name lies in fifth place behind Morland's second. He lived at a fast pace, initially invigorated and later incapacitated by drink. He was prolific, for the most part to keep his creditors at bay. While in a debtors' prison from 1800 until shortly before his death, he is said to have produced 192 pictures.
Within a few years of his death no less than four authors had written their biographies of his life: William Collins in 1805; F.W. Blagdon (1806); J. Hassell (1806); and the artist's friend George Dawe RA (1807). I once had Ralph Richardson's book titled: "George Morland, Painter, London" that was published in 1895. Like many reference books that one possesses I had not read it from cover to cover. In failing to do so I was not aware of the possibility of the publication of my Shaftesbury purchase. The Preface to the latter explains that Richardson had invited the owners of paintings and prints by Morland "to communicate to me the details of their collections." He was particulalry interested in discovering the original paintings for the many prints made after Morland's work, often engraved in mezzotint by the artist's brother-in-law, William Ward (who had married Morland's sister, and brother of James Ward RA whose sister was married to Morland!). The results of this request led to the publication of "George Morland's Pictures" two years later. This 'supplement' contains over 90 pages of details of individual paintings and similarly nine pages of prints - all with the owners' names and and addresses supplied!
Times have changed, but even now I hesitate to (re)publish some items from this burglars' directory of potential swag. Sir Walter Gilbey of Elsenham Hall, Essex was a well-know early collector of sporting and other paintings and he had 24 pictures by Morland. On the other hand, like many others named, G.A. Blackburn of Northgate, Halifax had a single "Winter Scene: oak tree; farmer; young man with hay under his arm going towards three sheep, 17 x 26 inches. Signed." Some entries have a note of provenance. Mrs E. Blathwayt of Huntspill Rectory, Bridgewater owned: "Morland's Last Sketch (that of a bank and a tree). Pencil. Morland's mother gave this sketch to the grandfather of Rev. Mr Blathwayt, Rector of Huntspill, Bridgewater who purchased from Morland 'The Rutland Fencibles'". The holdings by Public Galleries are included. The Corporation Galleries of Art, Glasgow had (and hopefully still have) four of Morland's paintings. Their Superintendant, James Paton, had a painting of "Gipsies. 19 x 24 inches, unsigned and undated, that was engraved by William Ward in 1792". The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and Asiatic Society, Calcutta each reported holding a single picture by Morland. A more tenuous note shows that while visiting Prince Hohenlohe at Castle Duino, near Trieste, Princess Mary of Thurn and Taxis in her "Travels in Unknown Austria (MacMillan, 1896) mentions: "There are two pictures here that I am convinced are by Morland". But she does not describe them.
For those searching for the provenance of a sporting picture this kind of listing of Morland's work (rarely seen for other artists) is of great interest, although by no means complete due to his immense output during his short life. As well as providing glimpses of contemporary collectors' enthusiasms, this book demonstrates Morland's standing at the turn of the eighteenth century and for many years afterwards, compared to that of, say, George Stubbs - a 'ranking' now reversed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
