Edgar Longstaffe Paintings

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...

Still Life is an artwork realized by an unknonwn artist in the late 19th Century. Oil on Board. 21 x 15 cm. Good conditions

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...

Exotic Landscape is an artwork realized by Kabemba Situna Wa. Oil on Canvas, 1970s. 38 x 58 cm ; 65 x 85 cm with frame. Good conditions

This early 19th-century half-length portrait attributed to British artist George Clint ARA (1770-1854) depicts a young lady wearing a beautiful brown dress, bonnet decorated with small flowers, gold earrings and coral necklace. Clint was a distinguished painter and mezzotint engraver predominantly known for portraiture and dramatic scenes. Set before an evocative classically-inspired backdrop, she looks out from across the centuries with a composed demeanour. Adorned in the latest fashions, oversized ‘gigot’ sleeves, a delicately-poised bonnet, and a coral necklace for good luck. It’s a charming portrayal by a masterful hand. Born at Drury Lane, in the heart of London’s West End, George Clint was destined to lead an exuberant life amid the spectacle of theatreland. His father, Michael Clint, was a hairdresser during a time of “hair pomatum, whalebone, wire, lace gauze, and feathers” - so young George would have encountered a variety of ‘characters’ during his childhood. But despite these elevated surroundings, he soon discovered the darker side of London when thrust into the world of employment. Apprenticed initially as a fishmonger, he trained under a ferocious master who was known to beat him. The hours were unsocial, the conditions rank, and the work was brutal. He soon quit but subsequently found himself toiling for a corrupt attorney who demanded he undertake unscrupulous acts on his behalf. Seeking a less volatile role, he turned next to house painting, at which he excelled. Commissioned, among other projects, to paint the stones of the arches in the nave of Westminster Abbey. Aside from an incident whereby he almost fell from the second story of a building, all was going well. Following his marriage in 1792 to Sarah Coxhead, a farmer’s daughter, he began work in earnest as a painter of miniatures, determined to forge a career. Robert William Buss’ memoir celebrates Clint’s success as a miniaturist, stating that “great manual excellence was united with that chaste, delicate feeling for female beauty which characterised all Mr. Clint's portraits of ladies.” Until this point, it appears he was predominantly self-taught, presumably constrained by a lack of finances. But from hereon in, his industrious nature coupled with several fortunate encounters, led to him developing an enviable talent for both painting and engraving. During the early 19th-century, the acquaintances one kept could make or break your fortunes and perhaps acutely aware of this, Clint’s ‘society’ was an ever-evolving circle of influential personalities. He was “initiated into the mysteries of engraving” by Edward Bell (act.1794-1819) and produced numerous works after the foremost artists, such as George Stubbs, John Hoppner, and Thomas Lawrence. Following a commission from Lawrence, he struck up a long-term friendship. Admired for his skill as a mezzotint engraver, he sought next to hone his technique in oils and, as with many aspiring portraitists, his first work in this respect was a depiction of his beloved wife. The pair were both delighted with it, yet over time Clint began to doubt himself and sought the validation of a superior hand - that of Sir William Beechey (1753-1839). However, paralysed with insecurity, he couldn’t face the potential criticism, so his wife took it instead - “with a child under one arm and the portrait in the other”. The result was immeasurably more positive than he’d envisaged and he became closely associated with Beechey until his death in 1839. Numerous commissions followed from the landed gentry including Lord Egremont, Lord Spencer, and Lord Essex. But also from the theatrical community who would fill his studio at 83 Gower Street, Bloomsbury. His connections within the world of acting led to notable works such as ‘Malvolio and Sir Toby’ (from William Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night', Act II, Scene iii)’ and ‘Harriet Smithson as Miss Dorillon, in Wives as They Were, and Maids as They Are’. While his efforts in mezzotint included several contributions to JMW Turner’s Liber Studiorum. As a measure of his success, Clint was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1821 - a position he later relinquished for personal reasons. Today, he’s represented in numerous public collections including at The British Museum, Harvard Art Museums, The Met, V&A, Yale Center for British Art, and the National Portrait Gallery. “The respect in which he was held, not only by his brother artists, but by an immense number of eminent men in various professions, and others of the highest rank, was the result of a rare combination of talent, candour, suavity of manner, and integrity of purpose”. [Obituary, 1854]. Housed in a period gilt frame, which is probably original. Learn more about George Clint ARA in our directory. Labels & Inscriptions: Supplier’s stencil from Rowney & Forster. The National Portrait Gallery holds a database of supplier’s stencils over the decades. The one here is also presented on two other works by George Clint. ‘Falstaff’s Assignation with Mrs Ford...

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...

Everything about this portrait denotes an aristocratic sitter. Enrobed in an off-white silken gown, the young lady is adorned by a string of pearls extending beyond her waist. Since ...

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...

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...

George Turner British, (1843-1910) Harvesting near Barrow-on-Trent Oil on canvas, signed & dated (18)86, further inscribed verso Image size: 19.25 inches x 29.25 inches Size includ...

This charming mid-19th-century oil painting attributed to English artist William Traies (1789-1872) depicts a picturesque river view with cascade, figures and cattle. Traies was an a...