Victorian Figurative Paintings

The Country lane by Frans Hopfner (1840-1893) German signed oil on canvas, framed framed: 23.5 x 41.5 inches canvas: 18 x 36 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very...

Wonderful Scottish 19th century Highland landscape, with a figure and cattle on a pathway overlooking a Loch This piece is signed lower right and is framed in a Vintage Gold Leaf fr...

William Stephen Coleman British, (1829-1904) By the Fish Pond Oil on canvas, signed & dated 1898 Image size: 23 inches x 35 inches Size including frame: 30.25 inches x 42.25 inches A beautiful painting by William Stephen Coleman of a woman with two girls in a semi classical style by a Mediterranean pond. The woman is depicted resting on a terrace with her young daughter asleep on her lap, whilst another child catches goldfish in a bowl. This tour de force would have most likely been painted by Coleman as an exhibition piece. William Stephen Coleman was a figurative painter who was born in Horsham in 1829. He was one of 12 children born to a physician named William Thomas Coleman and his wife Henrietta (née Dendy). Three of his siblings Rebecca Coleman (b1837), Helen Cordelia Angell (1847–1884) and George Coleman also became artists, inheriting their artistic talent from their mother’s side of the family. Coleman developed an interest in nature from an early age, producing drawings as a hobby. Despite his ability, he initially followed in his father’s footsteps and trained as a surgeon. However, this proved unsuccessful and by the age of 21 he had turned back to art, later gaining employment with the Dalziel Brothers, a firm of wood engravers who specialised in natural history illustrations. Sometime during the late 1850’s he moved to London where he married his first wife Henrietta Augusta Boultbee in 1858. Around the same time, he began producing illustrations for books; the first of which was entitled ‘Common Objects of the Country’ and published in 1858. He subsequently published two of his own books ‘Our Woodlands. Heaths, and Hedges’ in 1859 and ‘British Butterflies’ in 1860. After the death of his wife in 1860, his sister Rebecca and brother George went to live with him in Garway Road, Paddington. Rebecca would often assist him with the wood blocks for his illustrations. As well as working as an engraver, he also began producing classically influenced paintings featuring figures in landscapes. Initially these were executed in watercolours but later extended to oil paintings. He began exhibiting at the Dudley Gallery in 1865 and was one of the original committee members. He continued to exhibit there until 1879 and was a committee member up until 1881. By 1869, he had also begun to work on pottery decoration and in 1871 was asked by Minton’s to establish an Art Pottery Studio at Kensington Gore. Whilst at Minton’s, he produced figure designs for their ceramic ware. His sister Rebecca also worked at Minton’s and they moved to Belle Vue in Chelsea to be closer to the studio. From 1881, he lived at 3 St John’s Wood Studios, Queens Terrace in Paddington and in 1888 moved to 43 Broadhurst Gardens in Hampstead. In 1893 one of his classically inspired works ‘The Gold Fish Bowl...

Portrait of a Country Lady English School, mid 19th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 21.5 x 25.5 inches provenance: private collection condition: basic good condition but ver...

The Gleaner by Charles Sillem LIDDERDALE (British, 1831-1895) signed & dated 1890 oil painting on canvas, framed in what we believe to be the original frame framed: 51.5 x 37.5 inch...

Portrait of a Victorian Lady English artist, circa 1870's period oil on canvas, framed framed: 27 x 21 inches canvas: 18 x 14 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: ove...

late 19th-century Irish school portrait of a seated man smoking a pipe in a barn interior. A very well-painted and skillfully composed portrait of a wor...

The Victorian Gentleman English artist, circa 1870's period oil on canvas, framed framed: 27 x 21 inches canvas: 18 x 14 inches provenance: private collection, England condition: ove...

Ernest Crofts British, (1847-1911) On the March Oil on canvas, signed Image size: 8.5 inches x 12.5 inches Size including frame: 17 inches x 21 inches A wonderful historical painti...

Portrait of a Child European School, early 20th century oil on canvas, framed frame: 21 x 18 inches canvas: 15 x 12 inches provenance: private collection, England condition: extensiv...

John Seymour Lucas RA British, (1849-1923) The Surrender of Don Pedro De Valdez to Sir Francis Drake Oil on canvas, signed & dated 1889 Image size: 19.5 inches x 30.5 inches Size including frame: 27 inches x 38 inches This fantastic historical scene by John Seymour Lucas depicts the surrender of Don Pedro De Valdez to Sir Francis Drake, aboard the Revenge during the Spanish Armada off Portland on 1 August, 1588. Don Pedro de Valdez was the commander of the Squadron of Andalusia and was on board the Nuestra Señora del Rosario when it was taken in action by Drake in the Revenge. A full sized version of this painting is held by the National Trust and can be found at Buckland Abbey, Devon. John Seymour Lucas was born in London on 21 December, 1849 to Henry and Elizabeth Lucas (née Seymour). He was the nephew of the portrait painter John Lucas and two of his children, Sydney Seymour...

Breton Fisherfolk on the Shore French School, early 1900's signed with initials HB oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 15.5 x 20 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: ...