Edward Henry Eugene Fletcher

Pair of riverscape oil paintings of shipping on the Thames

C1900

An incredibly captivating image of a leopard basking on a rock by a river. Not only is this a very striking study of a magnificent feline but there is also a narrative here with a py...

This idyllic late 19th-century oil painting by English artist Edward William Cooke RA (1811-1880) depicts a west-country cove with two cottages, donkeys, figures, and fishing boats. Cooke was a highly renowned painter of marine scenes and landscapes who exhibited extensively at London’s Royal Academy. From our elevated vantage point, the view extends between two quaint cottages and across the beach before sweeping around the sandy coastline. Crystalline waters lap the shore, where moored craft rest. It’s an accomplished rendering of a challenging composition. It’s enhanced by trees, which essentially ‘frame’ the right side, while a wooded track provides interest on the left. Cooke was a keen admirer of the Dutch old masters, and the spirit of the Golden Age underpins this splendid work. In diaries, he recorded how he travelled by donkey to access elevated spots in the southwest, so it’s conceivable that he did so here. In his catalogue raisonné, it lists a work from the same year titled ‘Bay with Donkeys’. Born in Pentonville, London, Cooke was raised in the company of accomplished artists as both his father, George Cooke (1781-1834), and his uncle, William Bernard Cooke (1778-1855), were engravers. As such, they were associated with a circle of Victorian painters who aided Cooke’s early development. These included the highly regarded marine painter Clarkson Frederick Stanfield RA RBA (1793-1867), who provided frequent advice and inspiration. Indeed, as a teenager, Cooke produced numerous drawings after Stanfield’s works. A precocious talent, by the age of nine, he was already displaying an advanced understanding of engraving, particularly for ships, coupled with a natural, seemingly in-built skill as a draughtsman. Many of his early drawings depict pastoral landscapes after the masters, such as Nicolaes Berchem (1620-1683), Paulus Potter (1625-1654), and Karel Dujardin (1626-1678). In an extraordinary turn of events, in 1820, his advanced abilities led to his first commission when he provided botanical illustrations for John Loudon's 'Encyclopaedia of Plants’. These were followed by drawings published in the 'Botanical Cabinet...

Charles Towne (1763-1840) London : A distant view of the city from the south with a herdsman and cattle in the foreground Oil on canvas laid on panel Canvas Size - 14 1/2 x 19 in Fra...

F. Walters (British, 19th Century) Cottage Landscape with Figures and Pond Oil on canvas, signed lower left English School, circa 1880 Presented in an ornate 19th-century carved and gilded frame This serene and expansive rural landscape by 19th-century British artist F. Walters captures the gentle charm of the English country...

Charles Towne (1763-1840) Riders and dogs on a country path Oil on canvas 28 5/8 x 36 1/8 in 72.6 x 91.8 cm Provenance With Thomas McLean, London; With Arthur Ackermann & Sons, Lond...

Artist/ School: Irish School, early 20th century, indistinctly signed lower corner Title: Golden Sunlight over the soft mountains of Ireland. Medium: ...

Artist/ School: British School, late 19th/ early 20th century Title: Mother & Daughter walking along the coastal path, with the sea beside them. Medium: oil painting on canvas, f...

Artist/ School: French School, 20th century, signed by Eug. Mavie Title: Napoleonic War Ships at Sea, beautifully detailed with remarkable detailing. Medium: oil on canvas, unfram...

Artist/ School: by Francis E. Jamieson, British 1895-1950, signed lower corner. Title: The Old Watermill in the Scottish Highlands Medium: oil on canvas, framed Framed: 21 x 25 ...

Artist/ School: William Langley, British 19th/ 20th century, signed Title: Sunset over the English Landscape Medium: oil on canvas (the board showing in the photos is purely a prot...