Antique British Art

This late 19th-century oil painting by British painter George William Mote (1832-1909) depicts a shepherd and his flock before an extensive view across the Surrey countryside near Gu...

This mid-19th-century oil painting attributed to Scottish artist William Clark of Greenock (1803-1883) depicts a fully-rigged British frigate sailing off Yarmouth and The Needles, Is...

Benjamin Williams Leader (1831-1923) Morning sunshine at low tide Signed 'B.W. LEADER' lower left Oil on board Painting Size 12 x 17 in Framed Size 19 x 24 in Provenance With The Ma...

Bernard Hemy - Bernard Benedict Hemy (1844 - 1910). Marine and Coastal painter in oil and watercolor. Born in Newcastle to Henry F. Hemy, brother...

English School Farmyard Scene with Horses and Goat Oil on panel, unsigned The Circle of John Frederick Herring Sr. Circa 1880 Presented in a later gilt and painted frame This finely rendered 19th-century English farmyard scene captures the quiet dignity of rural life, with a group of three horses—white, chestnut, and black—gathered beneath a tree in the warm light of late afternoon. A small goat stands to one side near a rustic stable, adding a note of charming domesticity to the composition. The surrounding landscape, with its distant hills and careful play of shadow and cloud, speaks to the artist’s sensitivity to atmosphere and detail. Though unsigned, the painting is executed in a manner closely aligned with the work of John Frederick Herring Senior, one of Britain’s most celebrated animal painters of the Victorian era. The careful modelling of the horses, their distinctive postures and anatomy, and the tranquil farm setting are all hallmarks of Herring’s influence. Painted in oils on a wooden panel, the surface retains a fine, even gloss and a warm palette typical of the period. The composition is both balanced and lyrical: the interplay of form and gesture among the animals invites the viewer into a moment of repose between work and activity, emblematic of Victorian ideals of harmony between man, beast, and the land. A delightful example of 19th-century English rural painting...

J. Heal The Thames Estuary, London, oil on canvas, circa 1890 This evocative maritime scene by J. Heal, painted circa 1890, captures the Thames Estuary at the close of the Victorian...

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...

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 superb oil on panel painting is by British Victorian artist William Henry Crome, son of artist John Crome, founder of the Norwich School. Painted circa 1850 the painting depicts...

William Henry Williamson (British, fl. mid to late 19th Century) Fishing Boats off the English Coast Oil on canvas, signed lower left Circa 1870–80 Presented in a period gilt frame ...

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 charming British Victorian landscape oil painting is by noted artist Henry Robinson Hall. Painted circa 1900 the setting is Glen Sannox, Arran in the Scottish Highlands. Glen Sa...