Victorian Art

Artist/ School: Norman A.Olley ( British, 20th Century) dated 1992 and inscribed verso Title - The Boat Repair Yard Medium: gouache/watercolour/ ink/ pencil on artist paper, unfram...

Artist/ School: Norman A.Olley (British, 20th Century) dated 1992 and inscribed verso Title - September Pastures On Arentish Farm Medium: gouache/watercolour/ ink/ pencil on artis...

Artist/ School: Norman A.Olley ( British, 20th Century) dated 1995 and inscribed verso Title - Haycart At The Ford Of The Old Packhorse Bridge Medium: gouache/watercolour/ ink/ pen...

Artist/ School: Norman A.Olley (British, 20th Century) dated 1989 and inscribed verso Title - The Thames Off Tagg’s Island , East Molesey Surrey Medium: gouache/watercolour/ ink/ p...

Artist/ School: Norman A.Olley (British, 20th Century) dated 1994 and inscribed verso Title - Snowy Woodland Sunrise Medium: gouache/watercolour/ ink/ pencil on artist paper, unfra...

Artist/ School: Norman A.Olley, inscribed verso Title - October Manor Farm Surrey Medium: gouache/watercolour/ ink/ pencil on thin board, unframed Paint...

Artist/ School: French School, early 20th century, signed Title: The Autumn Landscape Medium: oil on canvas, unframed Canvas: 18 x 25.5 inches Provenance: private collection, Fr...

Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902) was one of only a handful of leading late-nineteenth century French Sculptors, whose reputation was perhaps second only to his contemporaries, Henri Chap...

Artist/ School: British School, indistinctly signed Title: A River Thames View showing the skyline of London Medium: oil painting on canvas, framed S...

The English frigate, HMS Britannia faces on an oncoming storm in port with skiffs in the foreground. This late 19th Century maritime oil painting...

Artist: John James Audubon (American, 1785-1851) Title: "Booby Gannet" (Plate 426, No. 86) Portfolio: The Birds of America (First Royal Octavo Edition) Year: 1840-1844 Medium: Original Hand-Colored Lithograph on wove paper Limited edition: approx. 1,200 Printer: John T. Bowen, Philadelphia, PA Publisher: John James Audubon and J.B. Chevalier, New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA Sheet size: 10.38" x 6.75" Image size: 5.94" x 5.5" Reference: Ayer/Zimmer page 22; Bennett page 5; McGill/Wood page 208; Nissen No. IVB 51; Reese No. 34; Sabin No. 2364; Tyler App. I Condition: Two small tears at top edge. In otherwise excellent condition with strong colors Notes: Provenance: private collection - Seattle, WA. Lithography and hand-coloring by American artist John T. Bowen (1801-c.1856). Comes from Audubon's famous seven volume portfolio "The Birds of America", (1840-1844) (First Royal Octavo Edition), which consists of 500 hand-colored lithographs. Based on a composition painted May 14, 1832. Audubon wrote: "I am unable to find a good reason for those who have chosen to call these birds 'boobies'. Authors, it is true, generally represent them as extremely stupid; but to me the word is utterly inapplicable to any bird with which I am acquainted". The view of the Florida Keys is based on a drawing by George Lehman. The bird family Sulidae comprises the gannets and boobies. Collectively called sulids, they are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish and similar prey. The 10 species in this family are often considered congeneric in older sources, placing all in the genus Sula. To make 'The Birds of America' more affordable and widely available, in 1839 John James Audubon began the first octavo edition, a smaller version of the folio which was printed and hand-colored by J. T. Bowen in Philadelphia. Employing a new invention, the camera lucida, the images were reduced in size, rendered in intermediate drawings by John James Audubon and his son John Woodhouse, and then drawn onto lithographic stones. These miniatures exhibit a remarkable amount of attention to quality and detail, as well as a meticulous fidelity to the larger works. Some compositional changes were made in order to accommodate the smaller format. Like the Havell edition, John James Audubon’s first...

Artist/ School: British School, signed, 20th century Title: The Country House Garden Medium: signed oil painting on board, framed. Size: framed: 21.25 x 29.75 inches board: 15.7...

Two very fine original antique English botanical watercolour paintings depicting this beautiful depiction of a flower/ plant. The work came to us from a private collection in Surrey,...

A set of two very fine original antique English botanical watercolour paintings depicting this beautiful depiction of a flower/ plant. The work came to us from a private collection i...

A very fine original antique English botanical watercolour painting depicting this beautiful depiction of a flower/ plant. The work came to us from a private collection in Surrey, England and had been part of an album of works assembled by the artist during the early 1900's. During the Victorian and Edwardian era in Britain, it was very fashionable for ladies of aristocratic and wealthy backgrounds to draw and paint still lifes of flowers and plants that they had picked or seen in gardens. Many were highly accomplished and extremely talented artists, who sadly were not encouraged to exhibit due to society frowning upon such activities. Artist/ School: Caroline Worsley...

Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902) was one of only a handful of leading late-nineteenth century French Sculptors, whose reputation was perhaps second only to his contemporaries, Henri Chap...

Title French Harbour Boats Coastal Scene Post Impressionist Oil Painting Key Details Artist: French School, mid 20th century Medium: Oil on board Size: 15 x 21.5 inches Provenance: ...

Artist: John Latham (English, 1740-1837) Titles: "Parrot-billed Grosbeaks" (Plate LXXXVII - 87), "White backed Coly" (Plate LXXXVI - 86), "Banksian Cockatoo" (Plate XXVII - 27), and "Variegated Tanager" (Plate XCIII - 93) Portfolio: A General History of Birds Year: 1821-1828 (second edition) Medium: Set of Four Original Hand-Colored Engravings on watermarked wove paper Limited edition: Unknown Printer: Jacob & Johnson, Winchester, UK Publisher: John Latham, Winchester, UK Sheet size (each): approx. 11.25" x 8.88" Image size (each): approx. 5.75" x 4.75" Reference: Brunet III, 872; Lowndes II, page 1314; Fine Bird Books page 87; Nissen IVB 532; Zimmer page 376 Condition: "Parrot-billed Grosbeaks" and "White backed Coly" have light offsetting to their sheets. "Banksian Cockatoo" and "Variegated Tanager" have moderate offsetting to their sheets. The "Variegated Tanager" also has a few light spots of discoloration at top in margins. They are all otherwise in good condition with strong colors Rare Notes: Provenance: acquired from Christie's, New York, NY, December 19, 1990. Comes from Latham's famous eleven volume portfolio "A General History of Birds" (1821-1828) (second edition), which consists of 193 hand-colored prints, made from engraved plates. "Parrot-billed Grosbeaks" and "Variegated Tanager" have an unidentified "1821" watermark lower right and upper right respectively. "Banksian Cockatoo" as a partially visible "1820?" watermark lower right. Biography: John Latham (27 June 1740 – 4 February 1837) was an English physician, naturalist and author. His main works were A General Synopsis of Birds (1781–1801) and General History of Birds (1821–1828). He was able to examine specimens of Australian birds...

Artist: Jacob George Strutt (English, 1784-1867) Title: "Near Stoneleigh, Warwickshire" Portfolio: Deliciae Sylvarum or Grand and Romantic Forest Scenery in England and Scotland *Monogram signed by Strutt in the plate (printed signature) lower right Year: 1828 Medium: Original Etching on chine appliqué on heavy wove paper Limited edition: Unknown Printer: Unknown Publisher: Jacob George Strutt, London, UK Sheet size: 14.25" x 21.13" Image size: 10.38" x 13.94" Condition: Minor soiling and discoloration in margins. A few light areas of waterstaining at right and bottom edges in margins. It is otherwise a strong impression in very good condition Very rare Notes: There is an example of this work within the permanent collection of the British Museum, London, UK and the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland. Biography: Jacob George Strutt (4 August 1784 – 1867) was a British portrait and landscape painter and engraver in the manner of John Constable. He was the husband of the writer Elizabeth Strutt, and father of the painter, traveller and archaeologist Arthur John Strutt...

Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902) was one of only a handful of leading late-nineteenth century French Sculptors, whose reputation was perhaps second only to his contemporaries, Henri Chap...

Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902) was one of only a handful of leading late-nineteenth century French Sculptors, whose reputation was perhaps second only to his contemporaries, Henri Chapu (1833-1891) and Marius Jean Antonin Mercié (1845-1916). Dalou was hugely influential and was a founding member of the Société des Artistes Français and later a founder of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. He was officially rewarded with the highest rank of the Légion d'Honneur two years before his death, with the inauguration of the Triumph of the Republic, in 1899. He started his artistic training in 1852 at the Petite Ecole after being encouraged to do so by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, where he studied drawing and modelling. Carpeaux continued to support Dalou throughout his career and influenced his sculpture greatly. Dalou began employment in the field of decorative sculpture working for two companies in Paris, Lefèvre and Favière goldsmiths. During this time he contributed towards the architectural features of Hôtel de la Païva, the then home of the infamous French courtesan Esther Lachmann known as La Païva. Dalou's unique approach lay in his broad range of subject, painterly and sculptural source material, though which he absorbed an impressive spectrum of inspiration. The work of an eighteenth-century sculptor, Louis-François Roubiliac, played a significant role in Dalou's artistic development, whose sculptures he studied whilst in London. Dalou's work includes friezes, maquettes, reliefs, and individual bronze figures. He is known for Baroque-inspired allegorical group compositions, as much as for his depictions of the French rural labouring classes. Dalou encouraged students of art to free themselves from the constraints of established traditions, with his style and teachings thought to have awakened a new generation of young British sculptors whose work was later aligned to the New Sculpture movement. This rough plaster model was kept in the studio of Alfred Drury...

Standout 19th century majolica pedestal handcrafted in terra cotta. In an orientalist theme with a woman and an ostrich under a palm tree, decorated and glazed. Signed G & S 1847 on ...

Max Beerbohm (British, 1872 – 1956) Mr Harry Nicholls (In a life of pleasure), 1893 Signed ‘MAX’ (lower right), inscribed with title in ink Pencil on paper with evidence of some wate...

William Duffield British, (1816-1863) Still Life of Fruit & a Vase Oil on canvas, signed & dated 1850 Image size: 13.5 inches x 18.5 inches Size including frame: 18.5 inches x 23.5 inches A wonderful still life painting of fruit and a vase by William Duffield. An array of fruit including grapes, peaches and a Melon are depicted grouped together on a table. Nestled behind them can be seen a grey crackle glazed ring handled vase...

Artist: Nathaniel Wallich (Danish, 1786-1854) Title: "Impatiens puberula (Soft Pink Balsam)" (Plate 193) Portfolio: Plantae Asiaticae Rariores; or, Descriptions and Figures of a Select Number of Unpublished East Indian Plants Year: 1830-1832 Medium: Original Hand-Colored Lithograph on J. Whatman paper Limited edition: 254 Printer: Engelmann, Graf, Coindet & Co., London, UK Publisher: Richard Taylor for Treuttel & Würtz, London, UK Sheet size: 21.13" x 14.13" Reference: Nissen BBI No. 2099; Pritzel No. 9957; Stafleu-Cowan No. 16583; Dunthorne No. 326 Condition: Has been professionally stored away for decades. In excellent condition with strong colors Rare Notes: Provenance: private collection - Aspen, CO. Lithography by Maltese artist...

Artist: John Sell Cotman (English, 1782-1842) Title: "Cathedral Church of Notre Dame, at Séez (West Front)" (Vol. 2, Plate 99) Portfolio: Architectural Antiquities of Normandy Year: ...

Artist: William Curtis (English, 1746-1799) Title: "Chironia Baccifera Berry-Bearing Chironia" (Vol. 7, Plate 233) Portfolio: The Botanical Magazine; or, Flower-Garden Displayed Year...

Set of 9 sheet music covers from the early part of the 20th Century, London, by various artists. Altogether they portray a real feeling of the fun of the age and what people were...

John Rogers Herbert RA 1810- 1890 Oil on canvas, dated '1850' lower right on sword strap Image size: 33 ½ x 23 ½ inches Gilt Watts frame This striking painting, depicts David as a y...

Artist: William Roscoe (English, 1753-1831) Title: "Maranta Arundinacea (Arrowroot)" and "Phrynium Grandiflorum" Portfolio: Monandrian Plants of the order Scitamineae, Chiefly Drawn ...

Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902) was one of only a handful of leading late-nineteenth century French Sculptors, whose reputation was perhaps second only to his contemporaries, Henri Chap...

Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902) was one of only a handful of leading late-nineteenth century French Sculptors, whose reputation was perhaps second only to his contemporaries, Henri Chap...

Artist: John Gould (English, 1804-1881) Title: "Pericrocotus Flammeus (Orange Minivet)" (Vol. 2, Plate 8) Portfolio: The Birds of Asia Year: 1850-1883 Medium: Original Hand-Colored Lithograph on wove paper Limited edition: approx. 235 Printer: Hullmandel & Walton, T. Walter or Walter & Cohn, London, UK Publisher: Taylor and Francis, John Gould, London, UK Sheet size: 21.38" x 14.57" Image size: 16.25" x 10" Reference: Anker No. 178; Nissen No. IVB 368; Sauer No. 17, Zimmer page 258; Wood page 365; Sitwell page 102 Condition: Faint UV stain to sheet and light toning at edges. Remnants of mounting tape from previous framing at top edge on verso. Has been professionally stored away for decades. In excellent condition with strong colors Very rare Notes: Provenance: private collection - Aspen, CO. Lithography and hand-coloring by John Gould and English artist Henry Constantine Richter (1821-1902). Comes from Gould's seven volume "The Birds of Asia", (1850-1883) (First edition), which consists of 530 hand-colored lithographs. Other contributing lithographers were German artist Joseph Wolf (1820-1899) and Irish artist William Hart (1830-1908). "The Birds of Asia" was Gould's last work before his death. Gold gilded edges as issued. The orange minivet is a brightly colored bird in the cuckooshrike family, Campephagidae. It is found all along the Western Ghats and west coast of India and Sri Lanka. Biography: John Gould FRS (14 September 1804 – 3 February 1881) was an English ornithologist and bird artist. He published a number of monographs on birds, illustrated by plates that he produced with the assistance of his wife, Elizabeth Gould, and several other artists including Edward Lear, Henry Constantine Richter, Joseph Wolf and William Matthew Hart. He has been considered the father of bird study in Australia and the Gould League in Australia is named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. Gould's work is referenced in Charles Darwin's book, "On the Origin of Species".

Alfred Gilbert (1854–1934) was probably the greatest and best known sculptor in pre-20th century British art. Works such as The Shaftesbury Memorial (Eros) located at the southeaster...

Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902) was one of only a handful of leading late-nineteenth century French Sculptors, whose reputation was perhaps second only to his contemporaries, Henri Chap...

Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902) was one of only a handful of leading late-nineteenth century French Sculptors, whose reputation was perhaps second only to his contemporaries, Henri Chap...

Title: Fete Champetre Artist: George Henry Andrews Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 25" x 36" Framed

Alfred Drury's (1856-1944) body of work locates him as a leading figure in the New Sculpture movement, yet his position as an innovator and conduit betwee...

Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902) was one of only a handful of leading late-nineteenth century French Sculptors, whose reputation was perhaps second only to his contemporaries, Henri Chap...

Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902) was one of only a handful of leading late-nineteenth century French Sculptors, whose reputation was perhaps second only to his contemporaries, Henri Chap...

"Crofters by the Coast" Oil Painting by Joseph Horlor. Joseph Horlor 1809-1886 was a Bristol painter of rustic and coastal landscapes, he exhibited at th...

Beautiful pair of life-sized, hand cast, left and right, English, terracotta poodles from the East Hampton Estate of legendary socialite, publicist, and sister of Jackie Kennedy, Lee...

The present hand-colored lithograph is an excellent example of patriotic mid-nineteenth century American imagery. The print shows the battle and several of the major figures involved in the Battle of Lake Erie: At the center is a view of several frigates on the lake, embroiled in conflict. Above the battle is the quotation: "We have met the enemy and they are ours." Surrounding are laurel-lined roundels with portraits of Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819), Stephen Dicateur (1779-1820), Johnston Blakeley (1871-1814), William Bainbridge (1774-1833), David Porter (1780-1843), and James Lawrence (1781-1813) - all of these framed by American flags, banners and cannons. This print shows that the Battle of Lake Erie, part of the War of 1812, still held resonance for American audiences several decades later and was part of the larger narrative of the founding of the country. 9.5 x 13.5 inches, artwork 20 x 23.38 inches, frame Entitled in the image Signed in the stone, lower left "Lith. and Pub. by N. Currier" Inscribed lower right "2 Spruce N.Y." and "No. 1" Copyrighted lower center "Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1846 by N. Currier in the Clerk's office of the Southern District of N.Y." Framed to conservation standards using 100 percent rag matting and housed in a gold gilded moulding. Nathaniel Currier was a tall introspective man with a melancholy nature. He could captivate people with his piercing stare or charm them with his sparkling blue eyes. Nathaniel was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts on March 27th, 1813, the second of four children. His parents, Nathaniel and Hannah Currier, were distant cousins who lived a humble yet spartan life. When Nathaniel was eight years old, tragedy struck. Nathaniel’s father unexpectedly passed away leaving Nathaniel and his eleven-year-old brother Lorenzo to provide for the family. In addition to their mother, Nathaniel and Lorenzo had to care for six-year-old sister Elizabeth and two-year-old brother Charles. Nathaniel worked a series of odd jobs to support the family, and at fifteen, he started what would become a life-long career when he apprenticed in the Boston lithography shop of William and John Pendleton. A Bavarian gentleman named Alois Senefelder invented lithography just 30 years prior to young Nat Currier’s apprenticeship. While under the employ of the brothers Pendleton, Nat was taught the art of lithography by the firm’s chief printer, a French national named Dubois, who brought the lithography trade to America. Lithography involves grinding a piece of limestone flat and smooth then drawing in mirror image on the stone with a special grease pencil. After the image is completed, the stone is etched with a solution of aqua fortis leaving the greased areas in slight relief. Water is then used to wet the stone and greased-ink is rolled onto the raised areas. Since grease and water do not mix, the greased-ink is repelled by the moisture on the stone and clings to the original grease pencil lines. The stone is then placed in a press and used as a printing block to impart black on white images to paper. In 1833, now twenty-years old and an accomplished lithographer, Nat Currier left Boston and moved to Philadelphia to do contract work for M.E.D. Brown, a noted engraver and printer. With the promise of good money, Currier hired on to help Brown prepare lithographic stones of scientific images for the American Journal of Sciences and Arts. When Nat completed the contract work in 1834, he traveled to New York City to work once again for his mentor John Pendleton, who was now operating his own shop located at 137 Broadway. Soon after the reunion, Pendleton expressed an interest in returning to Boston and offered to sell his print shop to Currier. Young Nat did not have the financial resources to buy the shop, but being the resourceful type he found another local printer by the name of Stodart. Together they bought Pendleton’s business. The firm ‘Currier & Stodart’ specialized in "job" printing. They produced many different types of printed items, most notably music manuscripts for local publishers. By 1835, Stodart was frustrated that the business was not making enough money and he ended the partnership, taking his investment with him. With little more than some lithographic stones, and a talent for his trade, twenty-two year old Nat Currier set up shop in a temporary office at 1 Wall Street in New York City. He named his new enterprise ‘N. Currier, Lithographer’ Nathaniel continued as a job printer and duplicated everything from music sheets to architectural plans. He experimented with portraits, disaster scenes and memorial prints, and any thing that he could sell to the public from tables in front of his shop. During 1835 he produced a disaster print Ruins of the Planter's Hotel, New Orleans, which fell at two O’clock on the Morning of the 15th of May 1835, burying 50 persons, 40 of whom Escaped with their Lives. The public had a thirst for newsworthy events, and newspapers of the day did not include pictures. By producing this print, Nat gave the public a new way to “see” the news. The print sold reasonably well, an important fact that was not lost on Currier. Nat met and married Eliza Farnsworth in 1840. He also produced a print that same year titled Awful Conflagration of the Steamboat Lexington in Long Island Sound on Monday Evening, January 18, 1840, by which melancholy occurrence over One Hundred Persons Perished. This print sold out very quickly, and Currier was approached by an enterprising publication who contracted him to print a single sheet addition of their paper, the New York Sun. This single page paper is presumed to be the first illustrated newspaper ever published. The success of the Lexington print launched his career nationally and put him in a position to finally lift his family up. In 1841, Nat and Eliza had their first child, a son they named Edward West Currier. That same year Nat hired his twenty-one year old brother Charles and taught him the lithography trade, he also hired his artistically inclined brother Lorenzo to travel out west and make sketches of the new frontier as material for future prints. Charles worked for the firm on and off over the years, and invented a new type of lithographic crayon which he patented and named the Crayola. Lorenzo continued selling sketches to Nat for the next few years. In 1843, Nat and Eliza had a daughter, Eliza West Currier, but tragedy struck in early 1847 when their young daughter died from a prolonged illness. Nat and Eliza were grief stricken, and Eliza, driven by despair, gave up on life and passed away just four months after her daughter’s death. The subject of Nat Currier’s artwork changed following the death of his wife and daughter, and he produced many memorial prints and sentimental prints during the late 1840s. The memorial prints generally depicted grief stricken families posed by gravestones (the stones were left blank so the purchasers could fill in the names of the dearly departed). The sentimental prints usually depicted idealized portraits of women and children, titled with popular Christian names of the day. Late in 1847, Nat Currier married Lura Ormsbee, a friend of the family. Lura was a self-sufficient woman, and she immediately set out to help Nat raise six-year-old Edward and get their house in order. In 1849, Lura delivered a son, Walter Black Currier, but fate dealt them a blow when young Walter died one year later. While Nat and Lura were grieving the loss of their new son, word came from San Francisco that Nat’s brother Lorenzo had also passed away from a brief illness. Nat sank deeper into his natural quiet melancholy. Friends stopped by to console the couple, and Lura began to set an extra place at their table for these unexpected guests. She continued this tradition throughout their lives. In 1852, Charles introduced a friend, James Merritt Ives, to Nat and suggested he hire him as a bookkeeper. Jim Ives was a native New Yorker born in 1824 and raised on the grounds of Bellevue Hospital where his father was employed as superintendent. Jim was a self-trained artist and professional bookkeeper. He was also a plump and jovial man, presenting the exact opposite image of his new boss. Jim Ives met Charles Currier through Caroline Clark, the object of Jim’s affection. Caroline’s sister Elizabeth was married to Charles, and Caroline was a close friend of the Currier family. Jim eventually proposed marriage to Caroline and solicited an introduction to Nat Currier, through Charles, in hopes of securing a more stable income to support his future wife. Ives quickly set out to improve and modernize his new employer’s bookkeeping methods. He reorganized the firm’s sizable inventory, and used his artistic skills to streamline the firm’s production methods. By 1857, Nathaniel had become so dependent on Jims’ skills and initiative that he offered him a full partnership in the firm and appointed him general manager. The two men chose the name ‘Currier & Ives’ for the new partnership, and became close friends. Currier & Ives produced their prints in a building at 33 Spruce Street where they occupied the third, fourth and fifth floors. The third floor was devoted to the hand operated printing presses that were built by Nat's cousin, Cyrus Currier, at his shop Cyrus Currier & Sons in Newark, NJ. The fourth floor found the artists, lithographers and the stone grinders at work. The fifth floor housed the coloring department, and was one of the earliest production lines in the country. The colorists were generally immigrant girls, mostly German, who came to America with some formal artistic training. Each colorist was responsible for adding a single color to a print. As a colorist finished applying their color, the print was passed down the line to the next colorist to add their color. The colorists worked from a master print displayed above their table, which showed where the proper colors were to be placed. At the end of the table was a touch up artist who checked the prints for quality, touching-in areas that may have been missed as it passed down the line. During the Civil War, demand for prints became so great that coloring stencils were developed to speed up production. Although most Currier & Ives prints were colored in house, some were sent out to contract artists. The rate Currier & Ives paid these artists for coloring work was one dollar per one hundred small folios (a penny a print) and one dollar per one dozen large folios. Currier & Ives also offered uncolored prints to dealers, with instructions (included on the price list) on how to 'prepare the prints for coloring.' In addition, schools could order uncolored prints from the firm’s catalogue to use in their painting classes. Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives attracted a wide circle of friends during their years in business. Some of their more famous acquaintances included Horace Greeley, Phineas T. Barnum, and the outspoken abolitionists Rev. Henry Ward, and John Greenleaf Whittier (the latter being a cousin of Mr. Currier). Nat Currier and Jim Ives described their business as "Publishers of Cheap and Popular Pictures" and produced many categories of prints. These included Disaster Scenes, Sentimental Images, Sports, Humor, Hunting Scenes, Politics, Religion, City and Rural Scenes, Trains, Ships, Fire Fighters, Famous Race Horses, Historical Portraits, and just about any other topic that satisfied the general public's taste. In all, the firm produced in excess of 7500 different titles, totaling over one million prints produced from 1835 to 1907. Nat Currier retired in 1880, and signed over his share of the firm to his son Edward. Nat died eight years later at his summer home 'Lion’s Gate' in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Jim Ives remained active in the firm until his death in 1895, when his share of the firm passed to his eldest son, Chauncey. In 1902, faced will failing health from the ravages of Tuberculosis, Edward Currier sold his share of the firm to Chauncey Ives...

Artist: Philip Lutley Sclater (English, 1829-1913) Titles: "Crossoptilon Harmani (Tibetan eared Pheasant)", "Hypotaenidia Sulcirostris (Barred Rail)", "Craspedophora Duivenbodei (Dui...

The present woodcut engraving is an original print designed by Winslow Homer, originally published in Harper's Weekly on April 30, 1859. It is an excellent example of the many prints Homer produced of fashionable people engaged in leisurely activities, in this case along a picturesque countryside lane. The sign reading 'Belmont' on the left indicates this is probably near his home in Belmont Massachusetts. The image presents multiple figures, both men and women, riding horseback: Some in the distance gallop away, toward a town marked by a church steeple beyond. Three others in the foreground, including two equestrian women, gather around a group of children who have been gathering flowers and trapping birds...

Artist: Jacob George Strutt (English, 1784-1867) Title: "Cottage in the Forest of Arden" Portfolio: Deliciae Sylvarum or Grand and Romantic Forest Scenery in England and Scotland Year: 1829 Medium: Original Etching on chine appliqué on heavy wove paper Limited edition: Unknown Printer: Unknown Publisher: Jacob George Strutt, London, UK Sheet size: 14.07" x 21.13" Image size: 9.63" x 13.82" Condition: Minor soiling and discoloration in margins. Light areas of waterstaining about sheet mainly in margins. It is otherwise a strong impression in very good condition Very rare Notes: There is an example of this work within the permanent collection of the British Museum, London, UK and the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland. Biography: Jacob George Strutt (4 August 1784 – 1867) was a British portrait and landscape painter and engraver in the manner of John Constable. He was the husband of the writer Elizabeth Strutt, and father of the painter, traveller and archaeologist Arthur John Strutt...

Figurative French etching from the Larousse dictionary of various gymnastic vaulting events. Each event features multiple stages of the movement, similar to the style of Eadweard Muybridge. Currently hung in a solid black from with a wide white matting. Dimensions Without Frame: H 3.5 in. x W 4.25 in. Artist Biography: Louis Bombled (1862-1927) is a French painter , draftsman and engraver. He was the son of the Dutch painter Karel Frederik Bombled. Living in Chantilly, he became a pupil of Évariste-Vital Luminais. He worked for the newspapers L'Illustration, Le Monde illustré, Le Petit Journal...

Georgina Lara British, (fl. 1862-1871) A Busy Village Oil on canvas, unsigned Image size: 11.75 inches x 19.25 inches Size including frame: 16.25 inches x 24.25 inches Provenance: Cooling Galleries, Bond Street, London A pleasing village scene featuring figures, horse and other animals in a village square. To the left, a team of horses with a hay cart can be seen resting whilst a group of people chat outside a village store. In the foreground a group of children play marbles by a dog as two women chat by a log. Meanwhile, a horse and cart is shown entering the village alongside a barn. Georgina Lara also known as Edwina Lara was a London painter of rustic farmyard and village scenes. Her work also closely resembles that of Edward Masters...

Ludwig Hermann German, (1812-1881) A Bustling Harbour Town Oil on canvas, signed & dated 1863 Image size: 26 inches x 36.5 inches Size including frame: 35.25 inches x 45.75 inches A wonderful continental townscape scene of a bustling harbour by Ludwig Hermann. The Medieval architecture is reminiscent of North Germany and the Baltic sea area with its busy trading ports. Figures can be seen chatting to traders as ships sail around the harbour. Ludwig Hermann or Herman was born Elias Ludwig Julius Herrmann at Greifswald, Germany in 1812 to Wilhelm and Sophie Herrmann. Although little is recorded about his early life and education, he is known to have left his home in 1831 at the age of 19, to pursue an artistic career in Berlin. There he entered the Prussian Academy of Arts where he studied under Johann Gottfried Schadow (1764-1850). Hermann started exhibiting at the Berlin Academy exhibitions in 1836. A year later in 1837, he travelled to Paris to study under Eugène Isabey (1803-1886) and Eugène Lepoittevin (1806-1870). By 1841 he had returned to Berlin where he married Caroline Wilhelmine ‘Auguste’ Dupont on 16 October, 1841. From his base in Berlin he travelled around Europe painting views of France...

Artist: John Latham (English, 1740-1837) Titles: "Kamtschatkan Thrush" (Plate LXXXIII - 83), "Spotted-sided Grosbeak" (Plate LXXXIX - 89), "Crimson-bellied Flycatcher" (Plate CI - 101), and "Black-headed Grosbeak" (Plate LXXXVIII - 88) Portfolio: A General History of Birds Year: 1821-1828 (second edition) Medium: Set of Four Original Hand-Colored Engravings on watermarked wove paper Limited edition: Unknown Printer: Jacob & Johnson, Winchester, UK Publisher: John Latham, Winchester, UK Sheet size (each): approx. 11.25" x 8.88" Image size (each): approx. 4.5" x 4.5" Reference: Brunet III, 872; Lowndes II, page 1314; Fine Bird Books page 87; Nissen IVB 532; Zimmer page 376 Condition: "Kamtschatkan Thrush", "Crimson-bellied Flycatcher", and "Black-headed Grosbeak" have some light offsetting to their sheets. "Spotted-sided Grosbeak" has some minor foxmarks and some light discoloration upper left in margin. They are all otherwise in very good condition with strong colors Rare Notes: Provenance: acquired from Christie's, New York, NY, December 19, 1990. Comes from Latham's famous eleven volume portfolio "A General History of Birds" (1821-1828) (second edition), which consists of 193 hand-colored prints, made from engraved plates. "Kamtschatkan Thrush" and "Crimson-bellied Flycatcher" have an unidentified "1821" watermark lower right and upper right respectively. "Spotted-sided Grosbeak" has a "1820" watermark lower right. Biography: John Latham (27 June 1740 – 4 February 1837) was an English physician, naturalist and author. His main works were A General Synopsis of Birds (1781–1801) and General History of Birds (1821–1828). He was able to examine specimens of Australian birds...

John Brett 1831-1902 Autumn Gold, Betws-Y-Coed Oil on canvas, singed lower left Image size: 24 x 13 ½ inches Gilt frame John Brett ARA was an artist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement, mainly notable for his highly detailed landscapes. John Brett was an artist associated with the Pre- Raphaelite movement, mainly notable for his highly detailed landscapes Brett was born near Reigate on 8 December 1831, the son of an army vet. His sister Rosa Brett...

George Bernard O'Neill Irish, (1828-1917) Children at the Tower Oil on canvas, signed Image size: 27.75 inches x 22.5 inches Size including frame: 37.25 inches x 32 inches A fine h...

Wonderful Antique Victorian Welch landscape, Ruined Castle by the shore side with moored fishing boats Joseph Horlor was born in Bath in 1809 and was a landscape painter of Welsh sc...

William Henry Hunt 1790 - 1864 Bird's Nest Oil on canvas Image size: 11½ x 8⅜ inches William Henry Hunt was a painter and watercolourist of fruit and flowers, landscapes and rust...

William E Harris British, (1854-1930) *Sutton Park Oil on canvas, signed & dated 1884, inscribed verso Image size: 9.5 inches x 15.5 inches Size incl...

Whimsical set of six mixed medium paintings of assorted dog breeds dressed in costumes from Elizabethan to Victorian, executed in a tongue in cheek portrait style with watercolor and...

Lofty set of six watercolors on paper depicting the surprising diverse beauty of moth species. Presented in wood frames, matted and under glass. Unsigned.

Transporting oil painting on board of Duke Street Kingston Jamaica, executed in an impressionist style with houses and trees. Signed by noted American artist S. H. Geer and presented...

Roland "Ao" / "Armadillo" L'Estrange for Vanity Fair Magazine Berks and Bucks 5 November 1903 Lithograph 21 x 37 cm Depicting Sir Robert Rodney Wilmot, in red hunting clothes and whip, of the Berks & Bucks Draghounds at their opening meet. Wilmot was educated at Eton and Oxford, and his hobbies famously included croquet. The Vanity Fair magazine of 1868 to 1914 was subtitled 'A Weekly Show of Political, Social and Literary Wares'. Founded by Thomas Gibson...

Inspired by Victorian era taxidermy dioramas, 'Dark Flora' is a series of photographs using wild plants and flowers in a curated yet naturalistic arrangement. The plants are foraged ...