George Elgar Hicks

The Drive

Two young children play an ill-advised game of gum stretching on the family couch in this charming composition by famed American illustrator, Leslie Thrasher. Painted towards the start of the Great Depression, Thrasher provided light-hearted images of the lives of everyday people to distract Americans from their troubles. These images appeared on the covers of Liberty Magazine, for whom he produced one cover illustration a week for six consecutive years. Born in 1889 in Piedmont, West Virginia, Thrasher studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts as a teenager and received a scholarship to study art abroad in Paris. Upon his return, he began studying under Howard Pyle, known as the “father of American illustration.” Thrasher sold his first cover illustration to the Saturday Evening Post in 1912, four years before Norman Rockwell’s first Post cover, and he would go on to produce over 360 magazine covers throughout his career. He painted humorous, relatable scenes of life in America with colorful characters set against white backgrounds. He was also a successful commercial artist, painting advertisements for Cream of Wheat, Chesterfield Cigarettes...

This intimate portrait was composed by the Bulgarian-born French Expressionist painter Jules Pascin. Known as the "Prince of Montparnasse," Pascin made a name for himself throughout ...

***PLEASE NOTE: EACH PAINTING INCLUDING THE FRAME MEASURES 16.75 INCHES X 14.5 INCHES*** Federico Andreotti Italian, (1847-1930) A Bouquet of Flowers & A Fine Vintage Oil on canvas, pair, both signed Image size: 12 inches x 9.75 inches (each) Size including frame: 16.75 inches x 14.5 inches (each) A delightful pair of three quarter length portraits of Italian women by Federico Andreotti. The first work shows a young woman in fine clothing with a basket of flowers in her hands. The second painting depicts a traditionally dressed woman holding a Chianti Fiasco and other wine bottles. Federico or Federigo Andreotti was a genre and figure painter born in Florence on 6 March, 1847. He showed artistic talent from an early age and at 9 years old began receiving art lessons from the miniature painter Angiolo Tricca (1817-1884). At the age of 17, he attended the Art Academy in Florence where he studied under Enrico Pollastrini (1817-1876), the President of the Academy. Whilst there he won a competition and made a name for himself by producing amusing genre scenes and costume studies. His success attracted the patronage of wealthy and notable clients including the King of Italy who commissioned him to paint a large historical painting of Savonarola. As well as working as an artist, he also taught art at the Florentine Academy where he was made Professor in 1879. During the same year, he began exhibiting abroad and made his debut at the Royal Academy in London, where he continued to show his works until 1883. He is believed to have spent time in England around this period where he also exhibited at other galleries including the Royal Manchester Institution, United Galleries, Arthur Tooth & Sons and Thomas Richardson & co. He spent most of his life in Florence where he died on 30 October, 1930. His painting of Savonarola is held by the Italian government. Other examples of his work can be found in a number of UK public art collections including the Blackburn Museum, Fylde Town Hall, Glasgow Museum, Hawarth Art Gallery and Towneley Hall Art Museum. Presentation: The paintings are housed in new, English made gilt frames which are in excellent condition. Condition: As with all of our original antique oil paintings, these works are offered in ready to hang gallery condition, having been professionally cleaned, restored and revarnished. © Benton Fine Art

Victorian 19th-century portrait of a seated English Flower Seller. This is a very pretty classic English Victorian Genre painting. The style ...