Big Sky Fine Art Figurative Paintings

Paul Elie Gernez. French ( b.1888 - d.1948 ). Danseuse De Cabaret. (Cabaret Dancer) Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Left. Image size 15.6 inches x 12.2 inches ( 39.5cm x 31cm ). Frame si...

Follower of Antoine Calbet. French ( b.1860 - d.1944 ). Theseus and Ariadne, Circa 1890 - 1910. Mixed Media. Watercolour, Gouache & Pastel Image size 16.5 inches x 11.2 inches ( 42cm...

Gaëtan Dumas. French ( b.1879 - d.1950 ). Une Trace De Plaisir Ou De Regret. (A Trace Of Pleasure Or Regret). Oil On Canvas. Signed Upper Right. Image size 13.2 inches x 10 inches ( ...

Mary Dinsdale. English ( b.1920 - d.2011 ). Why Do You Come Here? Watercolor & Gouache. Signed Lower Left. Image size 17.5 inches x 25.4 inches ( 44.5cm x 64.5cm ). Frame size 26.6 i...

Follower of Edgard Maxence. French ( b.1871 - d.1954 ). Meditation, Circa 1910. Oil On Canvas. Image size 34.4 inches x 22.2 inches ( 87.5cm x 56.5cm ). Frame size 44.1 inches x 31.9...

Charles Zacharie Landelle. French ( b.1821 - d.1908 ). “Je Te Demande Une Caresse Et Tu Me Chatouilles”. (“I Ask You For A Caress And You Only Tickle Me”). Oil On Panel. Signed Lower...

François Désiré Antoine Gailliard. Belgian ( b.1861 – d.1932 ). Le Petit Jardinier, 1887. Oil On Canvas. Signed & Dated Lower Right. Image size 36.6 inches x 28.5 inches ( 93cm x 72.5cm ). Frame size 41.7 inches x 33.5 inches ( 106cm x 85cm ). Available for sale; this original oil painting is by the Belgian luminist artist François Gailliard and is dated 1887. The canvas and the painted surface have benefitted from cleaning, restoration and conservation, which was performed on our instruction, supervision and approval. The painting is presented and supplied in its original frame. The frame has been restored and reinforced with supporting brackets along with new replacement hanging fittings. This antique painting is now in very good condition. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed and dated lower right. The renowned Belgian luminist painter, François Désiré Antoine Gailliard (also known as Frans or Franz Gailliard) was born in November 1861, in Brussels, Belgium. He was the son of Désiré Gailliard, a baker, and Anne Hubert. He grew up during a period when the country’s artistic landscape was flourishing. Raised in an atmosphere that encouraged artistic expression, Gailliard showed an early talent for drawing and painting. He pursued formal training at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, one of Belgium’s most prestigious art institutions. There, he studied under influential artists and developed the foundational skills that would shape his career. Gailliard initially joined the studio of Jean-François Portaels, then went on to study with Jules Hoeterickx, François Bossuet, and James Ensor. He also worked alongside Fernand Khnopt and became friends with James Abbott McNeill Whistler, the American artist, who he met in 1887 during stays in Berlin and Paris. He became part of the artistic and intellectual circles of Belgium, and other close friends included artists such as Alfred Stevens, Jean-Louis Forain and Félicien Rops. Finally, he joined the studio of Jean-Léon Gérôme in Paris. The academic environment in Brussels exposed Gailliard to various artistic traditions, but his work reflected an interest in pushing beyond academic conventions. Gailliard was particularly drawn to the evolving styles of the time, especially Realism and early explorations of Impressionism and Luminism, which would later define his signature style. Gailliard’s early work showed influences from the Barbizon School and other European Realists, focusing on meticulous, lifelike representations of nature, figures, and everyday scenes. Like many artists of his generation, he was deeply impacted by the works of French artists such as Jean-François Millet and Camille Corot, who emphasized the beauty in the ordinary and the rural. This focus on realism, combined with a sensitivity to light and atmosphere, became a defining feature of Gailliard’s work. However, Gailliard also admired Impressionism and its experimental use of colour and light. By the late 19th century, the work of French Impressionists like Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir had gained international attention, and Belgian artists, including Gailliard, were beginning to incorporate these new approaches into their own work. His art became a fusion of detailed realism and a growing interest in capturing fleeting moments, light, and atmosphere—characteristics that placed him in alignment with Belgium’s Luminism movement. Gailliard’s paintings from this period are characterized by their use of light and their focus on everyday scenes, especially those connected to nature and the rural life of Belgium. While he was not a strict follower of Impressionist techniques, his work often employed similar methods, particularly the soft, diffused use of colour to create atmosphere. “Le Petit Jardinier” (1887), is one of his most notable works and exemplifies his ability to render both figures and nature with careful attention to light. Gailliard’s paintings were usually large canvases presenting genre scenes, portraits, nudes and landscapes. His works often highlighted the beauty in the ordinary and displayed a sense of quiet dignity and respect for his subjects. He also produced news cartoons, presented in French, Belgian and English weekly newspapers such as Le patriote illustré, Le petit bleu, and the London Illustrated News. Gailliard’s work was regularly exhibited both in Belgium and abroad. He presented his first painting at the 1881 Brussels Salon, then from 1882 to 1891 exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français de Paris. He also exhibited in Berlin, and participated in major exhibitions, including those organized by influential art societies in Belgium such as Les XX and La Libre Esthétique, both known for promoting avant-garde art. Although Gailliard was not a founding member of these groups, his participation in their exhibitions placed him alongside other significant artists of his time, and he gained a reputation for his refined style and technical mastery. In 1897 he painted a portrait of King Chulalongkorn of Siam during his official visit to Belgium. Gailliard married Julie Constantine Maus in Brussels in 1898. They had a son, Jean-Jacques Gailliard, who also became an artist, designer and engraver. As Gailliard matured as an artist, his style remained rooted in realism and Luminism, though he also incorporated elements of Symbolism and Romanticism. His later works showed a deepening appreciation for mood and emotion, with a focus on portraits, landscapes, and scenes that often carried a sense of introspection. His paintings evoke a sense of calm and reflection, with light used not just to illuminate but to convey a deeper emotional or symbolic meaning. Gailliard went on to become the director of the Academy of Fine Arts of Saint Gilles, where, through the later efforts of his son, his reputation lives on. François Gailliard died in 1932 in Saint-Gilles, Brussels, where a street was named after him. He left behind a body of work that, while perhaps overshadowed by more radical movements of the time, remained respected for its craftsmanship and its commitment to realism and light. In the decades following his death, his work has been rediscovered and appreciated for its role in bridging the gap between Realism and the evolving movements of Impressionism and Luminism in Belgium. In 1957 he was given a retrospective tribute exhibition in the City Hall of Saint Gilles, organised by the Group d’Art Saint Gillois. Today, Gailliard’s paintings are celebrated for their quiet elegance, their masterful treatment of light, and their sensitive portrayal of everyday life. His work continues to be exhibited in Belgian art institutions, and he is regarded as one of the key figures of late 19th and early 20th century Belgian art. © Big Sky Fine Art “Le Petit Jardinier” (1887) by François Gailliard (also known as Franz or Frans Gailliard) is a captivating and significant oil on canvas painting, signed and dated by the artist in the lower right corner. In this evocative piece, a young boy, dressed in a blue apron over a striped shirt, stands confidently against a textured background of warm, earthy tones. His gaze is calm and proud. He holds a red geranium plant in a terracotta plant pot...

Margaret Maitland Howard. English ( b.1898 - d.1983 ). Pan, God Of Nature, Playing Panpipes. Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Left. Image size 22.6 inches x 18.1 inches ( 57.5cm x 46cm ). Frame size 26.8 inches x 22.2 inches ( 68cm x 56.5cm ). Available for sale; this original oil painting is by the English artist Margaret Maitland Howard and dates from the 1930s. The painting is presented and supplied in a sympathetic contemporary frame (which is shown in these photographs), mounted with new fixtures. The canvas has been lined and mounted on a newly constructed custom made stretcher. The painted surface has benefitted from cleaning and conservation, all of which was performed on our instruction, supervision and approval. This vintage painting is now in very good condition. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed lower left. Margaret Maitland Howard was an accomplished and versatile English artist whose works spanned the early to mid-20th century. Known for her evocative and often mythologically inspired oil paintings, Howard’s work reflects a deep engagement with classical themes and her knowledge of nature, and the human form. She was also proficient working in watercolours and pastels and an accomplished sculptor. Margaret, who was always known as “Marjorie” was born in Friern, Barnet, London on 31 July 1898, the daughter of artist and civil servant Henry James Howard. She grew up at Sutton, Surrey, where she spent most of her life. She spent many years living and working from St. Katherine’s, Malgrave Road, Sutton, Surrey. She was educated privately, at the Byam Shaw and then attended the Vicat Cole School of Art, completing her studies at the Royal Academy Schools, where she won five silver medals and other awards. She was also the recipient of a British Institute scholarship and extension and won the 1926 prize for her portrait work at the National Welsh Eisteddfod in Swansea. She exhibited paintings at the Royal Academy, showing at least ten works of classical and biblical themes at Summer Exhibitions between 1923 and 1935. She was one of the early group of women who painted nudes, a practice which was considered somewhat risqué and vulgar in the early twentieth century. She also exhibited at other leading galleries and in the provinces and consistently pursued her art despite the challenges posed by the societal norms of the time. Howard had a significant professional career for a woman of her generation. Just after World War II she was appointed draughtsman to the Institute of Archaeology at London University where she worked from 1948 to 1960. This is now part of University College, London. Here, she worked as an illustrator and sculptor, creating models for Professor Frederick Zeuner to use in his lectures. She also illustrated one of his important books (Zeuner, F.E. Dating the Past, London: Methuen). She also created the bust of Gordon Childe, now in the Institute’s Library. After her retirement from the Institute of Archaeology she collaborated with Ian Wolfran Cornwall on his series of books about the prehistoric world. In 1956, whilst working for the British Institute for the Study of Iraq, she moved to Balawat and supervised the archaeological work at the site of an ancient Assyrian city in northern Mesopotamia. She subsequently prepared drawings of the Balawat Gates, which was significant and technical work. In addition to illustrating various books on ancient history and anthropology, Howard was also known as an illustrator of fictional books, producing an illustrated edition of the Fables of Aesop that was published by John Lane at The Bodley Head in 1926. She also illustrated Elizabeth Ward...

Raimond Louis Lecourt French ( b.1882 - d.1946 ). Chevaux À L'Abreuvoir, 1908. (Horses At The Trough). Oil On Canvas. Signed & Dated 1908 Lower Left. Image size 14.2 inches x 17.3 in...

Jack Crabtree. English ( b.1938 ). Welsh Coal Miner. Mixed Media. Signed Lower Right. Image size 14.8 inches x 17.5 inches ( 37.5cm x 44.5cm ). Frame size 23.4 inches x 26.2 inches...

Ferdinand Victor Leon Roybet. French ( b.1840 – d.1920 ). Le Mousquetaire. Oil On Panel. Signed Upper Right. Image size 31.1 inches x 24.4...

John Arthur Lomax. English ( b.1857 - d.1923 ). When I Was A Boy. Oil On Panel. Signed Lower Right. Image size 9.5 inches x 11.4 inches ( 24cm x 29cm ). Frame size 17.3 inches x 1...

Harold Walton Freckleton. English ( b.1890 - d.1979 ). Milly With Minstrel. Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Right. Image size 24.4 inches x 29.52 inches ( 62cm x 75cm ). Frame size 30.7 inches x 35.8 inches ( 78cm x 91cm ). Available for sale; this original oil painting is by the Nottingham artist Harry Freckleton and dates from the 1960s. The painting is presented and supplied in its’ original wooden frame (which is shown in these photographs). The frame, canvas and the painted surface have benefitted from cleaning, restoration and conservation, which was performed on our instruction, supervision and approval. The original cotton covered slip has been replaced. This vintage painting is now in very good condition, defying its age. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed lower right. The acclaimed artist Harry Freckleton was born in Nottingham in 1890 and lived there for most of his life. He studied at the Nottingham School of Arts, as it was then known, from 1904 to 1912 under Wilson Foster and was much influenced by the local painter Arthur Spooner. He worked as a lithograph artist, and then served in the army during World War 1. He then worked as an artist for New Zealand Cine Studios and went on to run his own photographic business from 1924-65. Freckleton married the artist Vera Freckleton and they spent most of their married life living in at Whitegates in The Park, Nottingham. Most of Freckleton’s art is painted in oils, and he specialised in still life, landscape and figurative work, especially childhood scenes. His best works have a strong human interest, with an individual technique showing quality and fine execution. He was a member of the Nottingham Society of Artists, exhibiting there and becoming an esteemed Associate. As a successful artist Freckleton exhibited work seven times at the Royal Academy, as well as the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and the Royal Society of British Artists. His work continues to be sought-after and is today represented in permanent collections in Nottingham, Blackpool, Huddersfield and elsewhere. © Big Sky Fine Art This beautiful oil on canvas painting by Harry Freckleton shows a scene in an English farmyard. Besides an old green painted barn and a tall haystack, we see Minnie, a young girl sitting astride Minstrel, her brown pony. She is wearing a riding hat, white blouse and red trousers, and looks down at her left side towards a second figure, in a blue top and tan trousers, who is possibly adjusting her stirrups. A third figure, another girl, in grey blouse...

Alice Anne Renshaw. English ( b.1849 - d.1900 ). Young Lady With Meadow Flowers In Her Straw Hat. Watercolor & Gouache On Artist's Board. ( An embossed stamp in the top left hand corner reads 'Turnbull’s Superfine London Board' ) . Signed Lower Left. Image size 21.3 inches x 16.7 inches ( 54cm x 42.5cm ). Frame size 29.9 inches x 25.6 inches ( 76cm x 65cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by Alice Anne Renshaw and dates from around 1880. The painting is presented and supplied in its original highly ornate...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Making Ripples. Oil On Artist’s Canvas Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 19.5 inches x 15.6 inches ( 49.5cm x 39.5cm ). Frame size 22.8 inches x 18.7 inches ( 58cm x 47.5cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by the contemporary Welsh artist Elin Sian Blake. The painting is presented and supplied in a sympathetic frame (which is shown in these photographs) and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed lower right. Elin Siân Blake is a contemporary Brecon-based artist, originally from the South Wales valleys, whose work delves deeply into the rich tapestry of Welsh heritage. Through various mediums, she creates poignant reflections of societal and cultural issues that have shaped the Welsh identity. Born in 1981, Elin Siân Blake began producing commissioned artwork from an early age, focussing on the traditional Welsh ponies and landscapes of her childhood. She was particularly inspired by the agricultural and equestrian events she attended. As a teenager she spent all her spare money on art supplies. Blake graduated from the University of Glamorgan in 2002 with a degree in graphic design and illustration, but quickly realised that she wanted to create conventional paintings, rather than producing digital images. She then spent several years living on the road in vintage vehicles, painting the scenes and characters she encountered on her travels. Blake taught herself oil painting using library...

Valerie Ganz. Welsh ( b.1936 - d.2015 ). Firing! Welsh Miners Setting Explosives Underground. Oil On Artist’s Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 15.4 inches x 19.3 inches ( 39cm x...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). Until Tomorrow (Tan Yfory). Oil On Artist’s Canvas Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 9.5 inches x 11.6 inches ( 24cm x 29.5cm ). Frame size 16....

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). The Hosts Of Rebecca. Oil On Artist’s Canvas Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 17.5 inches x 23.6 inches ( 44.5cm x 60cm ). Frame size 20.3 inc...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). First Light. Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Left. Image size 23.4 inches x 17.3 inches ( 59.5cm x 44cm ). Frame size 28.5 inches x 22.4 inches ( 72.5cm x 57cm ). Available for sale; this original painting is by the contemporary Welsh artist Elin Sian Blake. The painting is presented and supplied in a sympathetic frame (which is shown in these photographs) and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed lower left. Elin Siân Blake is a contemporary Brecon-based artist, originally from the South Wales valleys, whose work delves deeply into the rich tapestry of Welsh heritage. Through various mediums, she creates poignant reflections of societal and cultural issues that have shaped the Welsh identity. Born in 1981, Elin Siân Blake began producing commissioned artwork from an early age, focussing on the traditional Welsh ponies and landscapes of her childhood. She was particularly inspired by the agricultural and equestrian events she attended. As a teenager she spent all her spare money on art supplies. Blake graduated from the University of Glamorgan in 2002 with a degree in graphic design and illustration, but quickly realised that she wanted to create conventional paintings, rather than producing digital images. She then spent several years living on the road in vintage vehicles, painting the scenes and characters she encountered on her travels. Blake taught herself oil painting using library books, originally producing very detailed photo-realistic images. Her artistic style developed considerably over the years, becoming more expressive. Blake’s main emphasis is always her love of images from the Welsh countryside and industry. As she explores the heritage of the Welsh valleys, she paints a social commentary on everyday Welsh working life. Her work captures the essence of Welsh tradition whilst simultaneously challenging societal norms. Bold and evocative, Blake's art invites the viewer to take a critical look at the complexities and nuances of Welsh heritage. By melding her artistic vision with a profound cultural understanding, she presents a thought-provoking examination of the past, present, and future of Wales. © Big Sky Fine Art This is a stunning and very tender image of a mother and baby, sitting by a window in the first light of a new day. It is all the more intimate because it is in fact a self-portrait of the artist shortly after the birth of her own daughter. The baby is wrapped in a soft cream blanket and is being held to her mother’s breast, feeding or sleeping after feeding. The mother, dazzingly beautiful, is captured in the dappled light of the new dawn. The background is sparse, making the image almost timeless. The young woman is sitting on a modest wooden chair and on the wall behind her is a hand-carved traditional Welsh love spoon...

Elin Siân Blake. Welsh ( b.1981). War Horse. Lest We Forget. Oil On Artist’s Canvas Board. Signed Lower Left. Image size 23.4 inches x 19.5 inches ( 59.5cm x 49.5cm ). Frame size 28...

Alfred Henri Pailhès. French ( b.1902 - d.1991 ). Rendez-Vous Des Havrais Pour Leur Promenade Dominicale. Oil On Panel. Signed Lower Left. Image size 12.4 inches x 15.6 inches ( 31.5...

Donald McIntyre. English ( b.1923 - d.2009 ). Girl And Chapel, North Wales. Oil On Card. Signed With Monogram Twice Lower Left. Image size 12 inches x 15.6 inches ( 30.5cm x 39.5cm ...

William Arthur Breakspeare. English ( b.1855 - d.1914 ). A Rendezvous In The Park In The Autumn Fall. Oil On Panel. Signed Lower Right. Image size 12.6 inches x 7.3 inches ( 32cm x 1...

Meryl Watts. English ( b.1910 – d.1992 ) Enigma. Oil On Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 22.4 inches x 19.3 inches ( 57cm x 49cm ). Frame size 26.4 inches x 22.8 inches ( 67cm x 58cm ). Available for sale; this original oil painting is by Meryl Watts and dates from the mid-1960s. The painting is presented and supplied in its’ original hand painted frame (which is shown in these photographs). This vintage painting is in very good condition, commensurate with its age. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting was created whilst Watts resided at 1 Bron Avon, Borth-y-Gest, Porthmadog. (Today’s postcode would be LL49 9TU). The painting is signed lower right. Meryl Watts was born on the 5th April 1910, the only child of Charles and Evelin Watts. They lived in Germains Place, Blackheath and she was raised in east end of London where her father was a printer. She studied at the Blackheath Art School, where the Principal was John Edgar Platt, one of the major artists using the technique of color woodcut. She learned this technique from Platt and was influenced by his style, as shown in the attractive and colorful designs that she subsequently produced. Meryl began to work independently in 1937, producing her own work while still living in Blackheath. During World War II the family home and business were destroyed by German bombing and Meryl and her parents were given just a few hours to collect whatever valuables they could before their house was demolished to protect neighboroughing properties from further damage. As a consequence much of her early work was lost. Having left their home the family evacuated to Portmeirion in Wales, where they had frequently stayed on holiday before the war. They struck up a friendship with the Portmeirion architect and founder, Sir Clough William-Ellis. Portmeirion was founded in 1925 and took nearly fifty years to complete. It was a homage to Sir William-Ellis’ love of the Italian Riviera and incorporated the grounds of a twelfth century castle. The resort became extremely popular with tourists and was the backdrop for various TV programs and films, including The Prisoner. Meryl Watts became artist in residence at Portmeirion, and over the next few years she produced an abundance of artwork including sketches, oil paintings and watercolors of famous scenes from the Snowdonia coastal region and other traditional landmarks. This was a new and very successful chapter of her artistic career. From Portmeirion Meryl and her parents moved to a rented house in Borth-Y-Gest, Caernarvonshire, North Wales. In 1944 Meryl’s father purchased the house and Meryl began to work there, using the endless views in the area for her inspiration. After the death of her father in 1957 and her mother in 1969 Meryl lived alone in Borth-y-Gest until she married Professor Joseph Allen...

Tony Giles. English ( b.1925 - d.1994 ). Vows Are Spoken Only To Be Broken. Oil On Board. Signed Lower Right. Image size 39.6 inches x 29.5 inches ( 100.5cm...

Raymond Moritz. French ( b.1891 - d.1950 ). A Liberated Lady On The Cliffs, 1927. Oil On Canvas. Signed Lower Left. Image size 25 inches x 20.7 inches ( 63.5cm x 52.5cm ). Frame size 29.3 inches x 24.8 inches ( 74.5cm x 63cm ). Available for sale; this original oil painting is by the French artist Raymond Moritz and dates from 1927. The painting is presented and supplied in a sympathetic contemporary frame (which is shown in these photographs), mounted with new fixtures. The canvas and the painted surface have benefitted from cleaning and conservation, which was performed on our instruction, supervision and approval. This vintage painting is now in very good condition. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display. The painting is signed lower left. A later dedication to “Louise” dated April 1942 in the artist’s hand is set around the earlier signing. Raymond Moritz was a French impressionist artist and illustrator. He was born in Paris on 8 July 1891. His family came from the Alsace region and were poor and Catholic. On his mother’s side, the Staubs were from Wihr-au-Val where they had been coopers for several generations. His uncle, Marie Clement Staub, was the founder in Canada of the Sisters of Saint Joan of Arc. Moritz fought during the Great War in the Picardy region of the Somme with the 2nd machine gunner company. He won the French 1914-1918 War medal with bronze palm attachment, which signifies that the awardee was mentioned in dispatches at army level. Moritz obviously created some art during the war because during the inauguration of the new town hall in the town of Albert he was congratulated by the French President, Albert Lebrun, and the British press for the paintings he had produced. Albert was the main town behind the lines for the Allies on the Somme battle fields...