Roy Petley was the firstborn to what became a large family in Grantham, Lincolnshire in April 1950. Little affection was shown to him and the only discipline was the bad tempter of his mother; by the time he was five he had been removed from his family and taken to the Woodlands school near Uckfield, Sussex. Home as well as a school for abandoned children. Petley cannot remember when he first began to draw – ‘Always, always’ is his claim – but it was at this school and in the charge of his art master whose name he recalls as Price. He was a resident at the school for 10 years and tells a story fit for Vasari in that in being let loose in the art room, in a frenzied flurry of activity, he used in one week all of the material available for all of the pupils for one whole term. Formal recognition of his talent came when in 1967 at the age of 16, Petley was awarded a place in the Brighton School of Art. With his family and educational background, it had been decided without reference to him that he needed a safe career prospect offered by training in commercial art. He found himself compelled to draw carefully and in great detail aesthetically unrewarding objects. When he asked if he might change to fine art he was refused. Regretting only that in some sense he had been betrayed by his art master at Woodlands, he cut short his term at University and hitch-hiked to Italy to see and learn from the great masterpieces that have so inspired him. Petley settled in Florence, haunting the Uffizi and Pitti galleries, examining with the closest scrutiny everything from Walter Pater's favorite Botticellis and the melancholy piety of the Portinari Altar by Hugo van der Goes, to the rumbustious pagan episodes illustrated by Pietro da Cortana. He charmed his way into the Gabinetto dei Disegni and was permitted the privilege of handling the old master drawings in that magnificent collection. After a year of living through his art in Florence, Petley returned to England. He was still only 17 and without the experience of formal training in a major art school, lacking the support and recommendation of well-known teachers no gallery would look at his work. Petley drifted to Belfast and did what he could to survive and drew whenever he could. The Bell Gallery gave him some encouragement and sold his drawings, but the time spent surviving and the time spent drawing were unequal and with a sense of growing frustration he returned to London. Back in London, Petley found work in the Greenwich Theatre which afforded him enough time to paint and he managed to exhibit his works in the small galleries of Liberty and Heal’s. In 1972, now 21, he left the theatre confident that he could support himself through his art. Again the galleries around Bond street refused to even view his work – all forms of abstraction were in vogue and Petleys dogged attachment to landscape and urban scene kept him remote from high fashion. With resource and rebellion that had been his boyhood strengths, he took his paintings to the railings of Green Park – the extraordinary fusion of art and junk that lined the length of Piccadilly every Sunday under the respectable title of ‘The Open Air Art Show’ and immediately caught the eye of American dealers who were to become his constant patrons. With such success, Petley could have retreated to a studio and worked for exhibitions in America, but he liked the raffish life of the Sunday shows, the banter with other artists and the chance encounters with people who might buy. One cheque caused him some dismay, for it was signed only with a Christian name, but the bank on which it was drawn was reassuring – not only would it be honored but without realizing it he has become the object of Royal patronage. The Duchess of Kent, whose cheque it was returned for more paintings. A member of the Queen Mother’s household staff came to look at Petleys works and bore back to her a portrait study of Prince Charles. Petley was summoned to the Queen Mother’s presence. Commissions followed from both the Duchess and the Queen Mother. Petley was required amongst other things to paint views of Sandringham and one painting bought by the Queen Mother was given to Prince Charles as a birthday gift. Set fair with such patronage, he gave lessons to the Duchess of Norfolk – an oddly old fashioned relationship rare now though common enough in the 20th century. The wry twist is that Petley himself was untutored and could only teach by example. The paid sat together painting the same landscapes on the same scale, just as Paul Maze and Winston Churchill, exchanging observations with Petley having to give reasons for actions which to him were wholly instinctive. By 1985, The Open Air Art Show had lost its casual attractions for Petley. He had for some years lived in Norfolk and the growing number of patrons and supporters in the country removed the need for weekly journeys to London. Petley had no reputation among critics and the Arts Council had never heard of him but his paintings were in rising demand and his American connections were as constant as ever. Able to sell all that he could paint and with the patronage that must be the envy of even the most celebrated contemporary painters. Petley did not need the London art world and it was only the consequence of persuasive argument that he was persuaded to expose in London.
City Park During the Summer
By Roy Petley
Located in Belgravia, London, London
Oil on board Board size: 24 x 36 inches Framed size: 37.75 x 50 inches Signed lower left
Oil, Board
$1,950
H 19.5 in W 23.5 in D 1 in
“Bermuda Coast” Henrietta Dunn Mears American Impressionist Oil on Board Signed
By Henrietta Dunn Mears
Located in Yardley, PA
A vibrant Bermuda seascape depicting the rocky shoreline with turquoise waters breaking against sunlit boulders beneath a sweeping tree. Mears uses bold, textured brushstrokes and a ...
Oil, Board
$6,500
H 22.25 in W 28.25 in D 2 in
“October Morning Matunuck" c. 1925 by Frank Convers Mathewson Rhode Island Oil
Located in Yardley, PA
About this work: “Birches and Huckleberry, October Morning Matunuck" c. 1925 by Frank Convers Mathewson (American, 1862-1941). A stunningly beautiful autumn view of Matunuck, Rhode ...
Oil, Board
$4,000
H 8 in W 10.5 in D 1 in
"First Snow Winter Stream", American Impressionist Oil on Board, Framed
By Walter Emerson Baum
Located in Doylestown, PA
This early 19 Century charm of a painting is one of a series of intimate miniature oil paintings, painted on board, by Walter Emerson Baum. Baum's works are among the most sought-aft...
Oil, Board
$4,000
H 15 in W 17 in D 1 in
Autumn on Canal, American Impressionist Landscape, Oil on Board, Signed
By Albert Van Nesse Greene
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Autumn on Canal" is a Pennsylvania landscape by American Impressionist painter Albert Van Nesse Greene. The painting is a 8" x 10" oil on board, framed, and signed "A V Greene...
Oil, Board
Home Safe
By James Gale Tyler
Located in Greenville, DE
Very well executed seascape. Alternate title "In Point" inscribed on the rear. 17 x 15in in frame, including linen liner. ...
Oil, Board
$28,500
H 48 in W 36 in
"Aurora, Psalm 16:9" - Realist Landscape and Skyscape, Oil Painting on Board
By Thomas Kegler
Located in Denver, CO
About the artist: Thomas Kegler’s growing volume of work, considered to be among the most influential of our time, embodies a confident humility obtained from a life spent outdoors...
Oil, Board
$3,500
H 6.75 in W 8.5 in D 1 in
"Winter Stream" Oil Painting on Board, American Impressionist, Framed
By Walter Emerson Baum
Located in Doylestown, PA
This early 19 Century charm of a painting is one of a series of intimate miniature oil paintings, painted on board, by Walter Emerson Baum. Baum's works are among the most sought-aft...
Oil, Board
$3,554
H 13 in W 26.38 in
After Sunset by the Lake, 1889 by Swedish Artist Anton Genberg, 1889
By Anton Genberg
Located in Stockholm, SE
Among the treasured classic arts we offer for sale is this stunning painting by the artist Anton Genberg. Born in 1862 to Pehr Jonsson and Anna Genberg, he left an indelible mark on the art world through his magnificent creations. Genberg's life was colored with a passion for exploration, study, and artistic expression. His artistic journey began with studies at the Tekniska skolan in Stockholm from 1882 to 1884, during which he also honed his skills at Oscar Törnås' private painting school. He furthered his education under the tutelage of Per Daniel Holm at the prestigious Konstakademien from 1884 to 1889. During these years, Genberg's exceptional talent was recognized with numerous scholarships and medals. Our painting, dated 1889, transports us to a captivating scene just some minutes after sunset. The canvas is imbued with a beautiful golden glow as the sun's last rays kiss the sky. Amidst a serene lake, the heavenly light reflects, painting the water's surface with mesmerizing shades of purple. In the distance, the landscape is dominated by a mountainous forest, while in the foreground, a stretch of land adorned with bushes creates a sense of depth. The impressionist style comes alive through Genberg's swift brushstrokes, reminiscent of the masterful techniques employed by Rembrandt, with branches delicately etched using the opposite end of the brush. Genberg's fame as a landscape artist was solidified through his enchanting depictions of snow-laden landscapes from Norrland, particularly the majestic "fjällen" (mountains). His art also captured the allure of Stockholm, Dalarna, and his birthplace in Jämtland. Notably, his masterpiece "Vinterafton" earned him a place of honor at the esteemed Nationalmuseum. Beyond his creative pursuits, Anton Genberg was actively involved in the art community. He served as the vice-chairman of the Svenska konstnärernas förening from 1913 to 1918 and held a position on the board of Sveriges allmänna konstförening from 1906 to 1939. His exceptional contributions were recognized when he was elected as a member of the Konstakademien in 1922. Throughout his life, Genberg resided in various places, leaving behind a trail of artistic inspiration. From 1916 to 1924, he lived in the enchanting Villa Wallbeck-Hansen, a masterpiece of national romanticism...
Oil, Board
Summer, Quaker Hill oil painting by Nell Blaine
By Nell Blaine
Located in Hudson, NY
This work by Nell Blaine was exhibited at the Poindexter Gallery, as well as the Tibor de Nagy Gallery, both in New York City. It is signed lower left, and signed, titled, and dated ...
Oil, Board
$4,900
H 48 in W 24 in
"As the Creek Reflects the Divine" - Impressionist Landscape, Oil Painting
By Deb Komitor
Located in Denver, CO
Deb Komitor was born and raised in Ohio and now resides in Colorado Springs, CO with her husband Steve, her constant dog companion Zoey and 2 house cats. She graduated with honors f...
Oil, Board
$1,776
H 4.22 in W 4.34 in
Fernand Lantoine (1876 - 1956). Coastal landscape. Oil on board, signed.
By Fernand Lantoine
Located in Paris, FR
Fernand LANTOINE (Maretz 1876 - Paris 1956) Coastal landscape Oil on board Signed lower right 10,7 x 11 cm Fernand Lantoine was a painter and illustrator from northern France. Afte...
Oil, Board
Jardin De La Isla Real Sitio de Aranjuez, Madrid
By Borja Fernandez
Located in Austin, TX
Borja Fernandez (b. 1944, Spanish) Title: "Jardin De La Isla Real Sitio de Aranjuez, Madrid, Spain" Medium: Oil on Board Dimensions: 31.5" x 63" Markings: Signed LR Frame Included
Oil, Board
Sold
H 21.66 in W 19.69 in D 0.79 in
Girl in a Hat - Late 20th Century Figurative Sketch by Roy Petley
By Roy Petley
Located in Watford, Hertfordshire
Roy Petley (born 3 April 1950 ) is a British painter. Petley paints en plein air to depict the wide expanse of English beaches and the gentle allure of Venetian landscapes. His work...
Paper, Charcoal, Mixed Media
Easter at the beach, impressionist style
By Roy Petley
Located in Segovia, ES
"Easter at the beach" oil on panel by Roy Petley The beach scenes is one of Petley' s favourite subjects, as it was for Eugène Boudin and Edward Seago, artist whom Petley receive an enormous influence. Petley has a great skilful to paint the clouds and to get very dramatic skies in motion. This landscape is perfectly balance: huge sky, very faraway skyline, families relaxing on the dunes, big animation on the beach. But the best is the happiness showed on this canvas. A painting that you don't get bored to look at every day. Dimension frame 38 cm H x 54 cm W x 4 cm D Dimension art: 20 cm H x 36 cm W About the artist: The first-born son of a large family, Roy Petley was born on 3 April 1950 in Grantham, Lincolnshire. When he was five, Petley was abandoned to the Woodlands School near Uckfield, Sussex. The school also doubled as a home for abandoned children. He escaped his rough and often violent surroundings through art, teaching himself how to paint and draw. At the age of sixteen, he received a scholarship to study art at Brighton University. But the pull of Italy and the country's old masters of art such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo proved too much. After a semester at Brighton University, he hitchhiked to Italy, settling in Florence where he eked out a living by drawing tourists who frequent the numerous cafes of the city, and studied the classics at the Uffizi Gallery and Palazzo Pitti. It was also in Florence that Petley had the chance to work with the collections of old master prints and drawings of the Gabinetto dei Disegni e Stampe of the Uffizi Gallery. "Roy Petley paints light; it is his passion. Every image he creates is alive with light; it reveals and conceals, taking possession of space. Whether he is painting sky, water or the human figure he uses a mass of colours revealing them through subdued lights. These colours, which arethe very material of which the light is made, pulsate with life. Roy interprets rather than reproduces nature. He does not take the viewer by the hand and point out every nuance of the view before him. He hints and cajoles; this is poetry rather than pedantry. A subject as prosaic as a Norfolk village is rendered poetic by his form, his colours and, most especially, his light. Following in the tradition of John Constable, John Sell Coteman and Edward Seago, Petley summons up the drama and lowering threat of those huge Norfolk skies which relegate mankind to a walk-on role. In depicting nature versus man he establishes an empathy with the viewer; there is almost a ‘madeleine-moment’ when we are taken back to a shared experience and want to say ‘Yes, it was justlike that!’ Constable said that he had never seen an ugly thing in his life because whatever forman object might take ‘light, shade and perspective’ would always render it beautiful. Likewise Petley’ssense of beauty is not that of the object itself but of light and shade. In his nudes the figures and the backgrounds constitute a whole; the same light which caresses the female figure also caresses the background features. At the same time he casts light as a player in the mise-en-scène of his painting, especially when he places his models contre-jour. The resulting translucence renders the nudes ethereal, almost otherworldly; they have an innocence which beguiles. There is a stillness about them which renders them unthreatening to the viewer; thereis no interchange, no sexual connotation. When he wishes to emphasise the sensual, rather than the sexual, Roy executes his nudes in sanguine. The figures in his pastoral scenes have a romantic, idealised, out-of-time quality which is veryappealing and, again, veryseductive. Wewish to share the same time and the same place with these people; we wish to be a part of the scene. This is Roy’s gift, he is able to render what he sees around him with such a straightforward and uncritical eye that we, the onlookers, are seduced into sharing with him his optimistic, unclouded view of the world". Síle Connaughton-Deeny Career Petley was only seventeen when he returned to England in 1968. At first, he headed for Belfast, Northern Ireland where the Bell Gallery provided support and encouragement for the young artist. But after some time in Ireland, Petley returned to London and succeeded in exhibiting his paintings in the galleries of the city's high-end shops, such as Liberty's and Heal's. To support his art, he worked in the art department of the Greenwich Theatre. By the age of 21, Petley left the theatre world altogether and began exhibiting his works on the railings of Green Park in London. In the 70s, the perimeter of the park was home to mostly struggling local artists selling their works to the passing public. Exhibiting on Sundays, the Green Park railings were then respectably called "The Open Air Art Show". Though this tradition still continues, railings has since been occupied by individuals peddling tourist gifts and paintings made in China. He achieved minor success with American art dealers who took great interest in his work. Following a chance encounter with The Duchess of Kent, a member of the late Queen Mother's household staff came to look at his works. Soon after William Tallon, the late Queen Mother's steward, returned to her with Petley's portrait study of Prince Charles, Petley was summoned to the Palace. Thus began the artist's long-standing friendship with the British Royals, which includes HRH The Prince of Wales, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and The Duchess of Norfolk as his supporters. Exhibitions ensued in London and Dublin, and in places as far away as Dallas, Texas and the island of Barbados. Art In every work of art, Petley incorporates a play of light and shadows. As he moves from his natural medium of oil to watercolour or pastel to sanguine, there remains a certain youthful light emanates from his paintings. A plein air painter, his works reflect his surroundings - from the quiet beaches of Norfolk and the picturesque parks of Paris, to his subtle nudes draped with sheets and sunlight. He captures the romanticism of days gone by, with nary a modern automobile or electrical appliance blemishing his canvas. Renowned British art critic, Brian Sewell, described Petley as "a painter who still paints, who brushes watercolour onto paper and oil paint onto canvas, a painter who even settles down to draw the nude from life - an absurdly old-fashioned discipline for an artist to pursue." List of exhibitions 1968: Drawings, Bell Gallery, Belfast 1970: Liberty's Gallery, London; Heal's Gallery, London 1972: The Open Air Art Show, Green Park, London 1973: Crome Gallery, Norfolk 1975: Liberty's Gallery, London 1976: Heal's Gallery, London; One-Man Exhibition, Crome Gallery, Norwich; The Small Gallery, Norwich 1977: Crome Gallery, Norwich 1978: Traveling Show, East Anglian Marine Artists, Cambridge; One-Man Exhibition, Century Gallery, Henley-on-Thames 1979: Traveling Show, East Anglian Marine Artists, Ipswich; Watercolours of Venice, Crome Gallery, Norwich; Century Gallery, Henley-on-Thames 1980: Traveling Show, East Anglian Marine Artists, Cambridge 1981: Century Gallery, Henley-on-Thames 1982: Australian Paintings, Century Gallery, Henley-on-Thames 1983: Century Gallery, Henley-on-Thames; Fermoy Gallery, King's Lynn 1984: Figures and Flowers, Century Gallery, Henley-on-Thames; Casa de Cultura, Estepona, Spain; Alpine Gallery, London 1985: Century Gallery, Henley-on-Thames; One-Man Exhibition, Don Carlos Hotel, Marbella, Spain; Alpine Gallery, London; The Open Air Arts Show, Green Park, London 1986: Galeria Arte, Benehavis, Spain; Paintings from the Mediterranean, Century Gallery, Henley-on-Thames 1987: Alpine Gallery, London; Century Gallery, Henley-on-Thames; Fine Art Trade Guild Gallery, London 1988: Fine Art Trade Guild Gallery, London; Century Gallery, Henley-on-Thames 1989: One-Man Exhibition, Oughertson Gallery, Barbados; Fine Art Trade Guild Gallery, London; One-Man Exhibition, Mistral Gallery, London 1990: One-Man Exhibition, Oughertson Gallery, Barbados 1991: One-Man Exhibition, Solomon Gallery, Dublin 1992: The Bruton St. Gallery, London 1993: Davis Messum, Cork St, London 1994: Davis Messum, Cork St, London (watercolours); David Messum, Cork St, London (oil paintings) 1995: Jorgensen Fine Art, Dublin; David Messum, Cork St, London 1996: The Victorian Gallery, Dallas, Texas 1997: The Victorian Gallery, Dallas, Texas; David Messum, Cork St, London; Jorgensen Fine Art, Dublin 1998: David Messum, Cork St, London; Sammer Gallery, Marbella, Spain 1999: David Messum, Cork St, London; The Victorian Gallery, Dallas, Texas 2000: David Messum, Cork St, London 2001: The Eakin Gallery, Belfast 2002: The Little Gallery, Saint Emilion, France 2003: Stables Gallery, County Antrim; Petley Fine Art, London 2004: Petley Fine Art, London & Monte Carlo; The Little Gallery, Saint Emilion 2005: Petley Fine Art, London & Monte Carlo 2006: Petley Fine Art, London & Monte Carlo 2007: Petley Fine Art, London & Monte Carlo; The Little Gallery, Saint Emilion 2008: Petley Fine Art, London & Monte Carlo 2009: Petleys 2010: Petleys 2011 - 2017 : The Little Gallery, Saint Emilion, France Collections HRH The Prince of Wales HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Her Grace The Duchess of Norfolk Durban Museum The Lord Hanson Frederick Forsyth Mr & Mrs R. K. Black HRH The Duke of Edinburgh HRH The Duchess of Kent Ulster Museum Harvard University Susan George...
Oil, Panel