John Atkinson Grimshaw

St. Ann's Square, Manchester by John Atkinson Grimshaw

1815-1918

Sir Winston Churchill 1874-1965 British Coast Scene near Lympne Oil on canvas Immediately recognizable as one of the most important statesmen in world history, Sir Winston Churchill also pursued the art of painting for more than 40 years. A particularly fine piece from the statesman’s oeuvre, this masterpiece entitled Coast Scene near Lympne is rendered in fluid brushstrokes and a vivid array of hues. Churchill often leveraged his elite connections to navigate the complex political landscape of the 1920s and 1930s. Many of these invaluable social interactions occurred at the setting of this magnificent landscape painting: the distinguished Port Lympne estate. Owned by Sir Philip Sassoon...

Henry Moret 1856-1913 French Barque de Peche en Mer Fishing Boat at Sea Signed and dated “Henry Moret 1912” (lower left) Oil on canvas A beautiful gestural composition imbued with the sublime beauty of the open sea, this oil on canvas by Impressionist Henry Moret showcases the artist's deft use of color and texture. One of the most celebrated painters of the Pont-Aven School, Moret’s lasting reputation is tied to his talent for capturing the bright skies, lively waterways and the diverse coastline of northern France. With a mastery of plein air composition and a deep appreciation for the natural world, Moret's Barque de Peche en Mer renders a fishing boat navigating through the ocean. Moret creates a visceral sense of the vitality of the water and the enormity of the open skies. The artist captures the vigorous energy of the sea with a profusion of green and blue hues applied with a thick impasto. Small yet mighty against the infinite backdrop, Moret's fishing boat forges ahead. Henry Moret was born in Cherbourg in 1856, though little else is known about his early life. He entered military service as a young man in 1875, and it was during that period when Moret discovered the beauty of France’s northern coasts, particularly those of Normandy and Brittany. After his tour ended, he embarked on his artistic career, completing his formal education at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts under Jean-Leon Gérôme, and later, from about 1880, under Jean-Paul Laurens at the Académie Julian. He exhibited for the first time at the Paris Salon in 1880, submitting a landscape of the coast of Brittany. During his time in Paris, he frequently traveled to Brittany to paint the region he so loved. In 1888, he more firmly established himself in Pont-Aven, a town whose center had become an artistic refuge for artists such as the great Paul Gauguin, Ernest Ponthier de Chamaillard, Emile Jourdan and others. Under Gauguin's influence, he briefly explored the concept of Symbolism in his works, but after Gauguin left Pont-Aven in 1891, Moret returned to his Impressionist roots. He formed a relationship with the famed dealer Durand-Ruel in 1895, and his career was officially launched. Today, his works can be found in important museums including the Manchester Art Gallery, the State Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg), the National Gallery of Art (Washington DC) and others. Dated 1912 Canvas: 28 3/4” high x 36 3/4” wide Frame: 36 5/8" high x 44 1/8" wide Exhibited:Henry Moret, Galerie Durand-Ruel, April 5-January 29, 1966, n° 47 Provenance: Sale Marcel Bernheim...

Achille Laugé 1861-1944 French The Garden Near Cailhau Signed "A. Laugé 96" (lower left) Oil on canvas “Laugé’s art is one of great sensitivity and controlled reason; he is a mas...

Frank Tenney Johnson 1874–1939 American The Lawless Frontier Signed, lower left: F Tenney Johnson A.N.A 1930 Oil on canvas Frank Tenney Johnson’s The Lawless Frontier exemplifies...

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...

This fine mid-19th-century oil painting by British artist Thomas Sidney Cooper RA (1803-1902) depicts two cows and a sheep in a landscape. Cooper was a distinguished painter of the n...

This mid-19th-century oil painting attributed to British artist William Adolphus Knell (1805-1875) depicts a sailing yacht before a Mediterranean coastline. Knell was one of the lead...

This early 20th-century oil painting by British artist David Bates (1840-1921) depicts a rural view in Capel Curig, North Wales. Bates was an accomplished landscape painter who often...