Thomas Brooks

19th Century genre landscape oil painting of women picking flowers

1878

William Edward Webb British, (1862-1903) Penzance Harbour Oil on canvas, signed Image size: 29 inches x 45.5 inches Size including frame: 38 inches x 54.5 inches A pleasing coastal painting of Penzance Harbour at low tide by William Edward Webb. In the foreground, a fisherman sells his catch to a woman and her daughter, whilst figures in horses and carts wait for others to unload their boats. William Edward Webb was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in 1862 to William Benjamin Webb and Ellen Butler. His father was a printer and an artist and it is highly likely he received tuition from him. Following the death of his mother, his father remarried and moved the family to Manchester sometime after 1871. By the 1880’s, Webb had started working as an artist and later set up a studio at 30 Exchange Buildings in Manchester. He began exhibiting at the Manchester City Art Gallery from 1890, where he showed more than 60 paintings during his lifetime. He also exhibited at the Royal Academy and Walker Art Gallery Liverpool from 1892. He married Clara Foster in 1899 and the couple lived at 1 Sylvan Grove, Chorlton Upon Medlock in South Manchester with their daughter Florrie. He became friends with the artist Walter Emsley (1860-1938) who also lived in Manchester. Although he spent the rest of his life in Manchester, Webb travelled throughout the UK painting coastal and marine scenes around the main ports and harbours. He spent a great deal of time in the Isle of Mann painting numerous scenes along the coast including views of Peel and Douglas Harbour, subjects he frequently returned to. Webb painted in a highly distinctive style; loose and informal but which manages to retain the sense of perspective. He struggled with ill health and depression throughout his life which sadly led to his suicide 9 November, 1903. In 1974, a retrospective exhibition was held at The Old Customs House and Old Solent House in Lymington, which brought a new found interest in his work. His paintings are now highly sought after and are represented in many collections and Museums including the Astley Hall...

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...

David Bates British, (1840-1921) The Plough Team, Bredon’s Norton Oil on canvas, signed & dated 1908, further inscribed verso Image size: 15.5 inches x 23.5 inches Size including frame: 21.5 inches x 29.5 inches A lovely landscape painting of a plough team on a country track near Bredon’s Norton by David Bates. Bredon’s Norton is a village located in the Cotswolds, on the slopes of Bredon Hill in South Worcestershire. The America women’s rights activist Victoria Woodhull Martin moved to the village in 1901 and by 1908 had set up an agricultural school for women at her Norton’s Park estate. The Antarctic explore Raymond Priestley also lived there. Although Bates was living in Surrey at the time of this painting, he would have been familiar with the area after having lived and worked in Worcestershire for some considerable time. He would have also most likely been aware of Victoria Woodhull Martin and the school. David Bates was born in March, Cambridge in 1840 to Benjamin Bates a shoe maker and Sarah Bates. By 1851, the family had moved to Upton upon Severn in Worcestershire and from 1855 Bates became an apprentice at the Royal Worcester Porcelain Works in Worcester. There he developed his artistic talent, painting flower decorations onto vases and plates. At some point after 1861, he became a full time artist and made his debut at the Royal Academy in 1863, continuing to exhibit there until 1893. He also exhibited at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, Suffolk Street and the Grosvenor Gallery. He married Elizabeth Higgs from Worcester in 1867 and they lived at Cherry Orchard, Bath Road in Worcester where their children were later born. Their second child John Bates Noel (1870-1927) became a landscape artist and their younger son David Samuel...

William Bromley British, (1816-1890) Gathering Hawthorn Berries Oil on canvas, signed Image size: 27.5 inches x 35.5 inches Size including frame: 33.5 inches x 41.5 inches A love...

William Edward Webb British, (1862-1903) Douglas Harbour, Isle of Man Oil on canvas, signed Image size: 21.5 inches x 37.5 inches Size including frame: 33 inches x 49 inches A busy quayside painting by William Edward Webb of Douglas Harbour on the Isle of man. Fishermen in boats can be seen preparing to head ashore as other figures make their way along the quayside. William Edward Webb was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in 1862 to William Benjamin Webb and Ellen Butler. His father was a printer and an artist and it is highly likely he received tuition from him. Following the death of his mother, his father remarried and moved the family to Manchester sometime after 1871. By the 1880’s, Webb had started working as an artist and later set up a studio at 30 Exchange Buildings in Manchester. He began exhibiting at the Manchester City Art Gallery from 1890, where he showed more than 60 paintings during his lifetime. He also exhibited at the Royal Academy and Walker Art Gallery Liverpool from 1892. He married Clara Foster in 1899 and the couple lived at 1 Sylvan Grove, Chorlton Upon Medlock in South Manchester with their daughter Florrie. He became friends with the artist Walter Emsley (1860-1938) who also lived in Manchester. Although he spent the rest of his life in Manchester, Webb travelled throughout the UK painting coastal and marine scenes around the main ports and harbours. He spent a great deal of time in the Isle of Mann painting numerous scenes along the coast including views of Peel and Douglas Harbour, subjects he frequently returned to. Webb painted in a highly distinctive style; loose and informal but which manages to retain the sense of perspective. He struggled with ill health and depression throughout his life which sadly led to his suicide 9 November, 1903. In 1974, a retrospective exhibition was held at The Old Customs House and Old Solent House in Lymington, which brought a new found interest in his work. His paintings are now highly sought after and are represented in many collections and Museums including the Astley Hall...

Ernest Crofts British, (1847-1911) The Gunpowder Plot; the Conspirators Last Stand at Holbeche Oil on canvas, signed & dated 1892 Image size: 11.5 inches x 17.25 inches Size including frame: 19 inches x 24.75 inches A dramatic historical painting depicting the last stand of the gunpowder plot conspirators at Holbeche House, near Dudley, Staffordshire by Ernest Crofts. It is the smaller version of a larger exhibition piece that was shown at the Royal Academy in 1892. Holbeche or Holbeach House was built in 1600 and is located close to Kingswinford near Dudley. The site became famous for being the last refuge of the fugitives from the gunpowder plot of 1605. After Guy Fawkes was arrested on the evening of 4 November, the remaining conspirators, including Robert Catesby, Thomas Percy and Stephen Lyttelton the owner of Holbeche House, fled London and headed for Warwickshire. Upon reaching Warwick Castle and Hewell Grange they raided weapons and gunpowder and then left with the Sheriff of Warwick, Richard Walsh and a posse of men in pursuit soon after. After reaching Holbeche House around 10pm on 7 November, they attempted to dry their damp gunpowder near a fire, but it caught fire and exploded, injuring a number of people and almost destroying the roof of the house. At around midday on 8 November, Walsh caught up with them and proceeded to storm the gates. During the short but fierce fight, several of the plotters including Percy, Catesby, Jack Wright...

Provenance: Christie’s, London, 3 March 1922, lot 46 (with The Tower of Babel); James Nicoll Private Collection Sotheby’s, London, 29 March 1983, lot 157 Private Collection, New Yo...

Storm Clouds over the River Yare *see notes below English School, circa 1830's circle of John Constable (English 1776-187) oil painting on canvas, framed canvas: 18 x 25 inches condi...

Large Victorian painting of children resting outdoors by J.O. Banks English, late 19th Century Frame: Height 91cm, width 111cm, depth 10cm Can...

Holy Baptism, Oil painting on canvas by an unknown artist About the artwork: Bible Scene, Early 18th Century, Florentine School TECHNIQUE: oil pai...

A very tranquil scene of fishing boats moored in harbour with a sunlit sea beyond. Painted with a most attractive palette of blues and greens and with a pleasing composition that le...

John White was a Cornish painter from the 19th century. He exhibited at the Royal Academy in London and also at the British Institute, in London. His work is Victorian in its com...