Darnley Fine Art Paintings

Studio of Sir Peter Lely Diana Oil on canvas Image Size: 38 x 50 inches (96.5 x 127 cm)  Ornate auricular frame Provenance The collection of Mr Campbell Private Estate Mary II (16...

Norman Wilkinson Tower of London Oil on canvas, signed lower left, dated June 1960 on verso Image Size: 23 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches (59.6 x 44.5 cm) Original gilt frame Provenance Tryon ...

John Shelley Fennys Lane 1938-2020 Oil on board, signed and dated '1968' on verso Image Size: 35 1/2 x 27 1/2 inches (90 x 69.8 cm) Original frame Provenance The artist, whom exhibi...

Oil on board, signed lower right Image size: 14 1/4 x 16 inches (36 x 40 1/2 cm) Hand made frame Joan Fairfax Whiteside was a prodigious artist and illustrator. Born into an eminent...

Oil on copper Image size: 15 x 10 1/2 inches (38 x 26.5 cm) Period style hand made frame This landscape depicts the area surrounding the Tivoli waterfalls in Italy. Thanks to its proximity in Rome, which lies some 30 km to the Southwest, Tivoli has long been a destination for artists. The Italian landscapists whose work was so coveted by Grand Tourist collectors—Claude, Gaspard Dughet and Salvator Rosa—all sketched there, while the Northern Italianates, including Cornelis van Poelenburgh...

British School Oil on Canvas Image Size: 31 inches x 25 3/4 inches (79 x 65.5 cm) Original gilt frame Gathered along a riverside are two fishermen turned in conversation, one of who...

G R Neale Oil on Canvas, Signed and dated ‘1933’ lower right Image Size: 13 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches ( 34.3 x 24.1 cm) Hand made ebonised and gilded frame Accentuated by the works golden tones, the painting is a duality of strength and stillness. Explored through the compositions stoic stone lion; angled to gaze just out of frame; in contrast with the draped ochre curtain of the piece’s background. Reeves and Sons...

Portrait of Lady Mansfield of Ringwood Oil on Canvas Image size: 25 x 30 inches (63 x 76 cm) Original carved & gilded frame POA Provenance Descended through the Family Estate Born in Poland in 1760 to the 2nd Earl of Mansfield and his wife, Elizabeth Mary Murray would later come under the care of her uncle, William Murray (1st Earl of Mansfield) at Kenwood House in Hampstead. David Murray (2nd Earl of Mansfield) was set to inherit the title and full wealth of his uncle, including Kenwood House. Lady Mansfield’s second cousin would soon join her at Kenwood, where they would be raised together and featured in multiple portraits of the time. Her younger sister, Henrietta, is seen in a separate portrait done by Thomas Hudson as well. At the age of 25 she married George Finch-Hatton, an English aristocrat and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1772-1784. Gazing out at the viewer, Lady Mansfield wears a decorated dress, with an abundance of pearls and lace, and a transparent gold lined veil surrounding her right shoulder. The excess of luxurious fabric matches another Hudson portrait of another Lady Mansfield, with the lace detailing and complementary bodice. The depiction of this Lady Mansfield epitomizes the style of portraiture in the 18th century, such as the styles Hudson’s pupils Joshua Reynolds, Joseph Wright, and Peter Toms. From Hudson’s travels to the Low Countries and Italy, he no doubt brought back artistic inspiration from the international pieces he encountered. Thomas Hudson Hudson was a celebrated 18th century portrait painter. Born in Devon in 1701 he studied under the artist Jonathan Richardson and married his daughter, against Richardson’s wishes. He had many artistic friends including William Hogarth and Francis Hayman and travelled with them in Europe in 1748. He also visited Italy with the sculptor Louis-François Roubiliac in 1752. Hudson’s style of portraiture proved so successful that for a decade from 1745 to 1755 he was London’s most popular portrait painter and made a fortune painting the cream of London society and members of the Royal Family. He was also a talented teacher, perhaps too good, as subsequently a number of his former assistants overtook him in popularity including the artist Joshua Reynolds. Hudson retired in the late 1750’s and died in Twickenham in 1779. His most notable works include portraits of King George II and George Friedrich Handel and his “Portrait of a Nobleman in Van Dyck dress.” Many of Hudson’s works may be seen in art galleries. These include the National Portrait Gallery, the National Maritime Museum, the Tate Gallery, the Foundling Museum and the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. His works are also in Museums across the world...

Portrait of Lady Mansfield of Ringwood Oil on Canvas Image size: 25 x 30 inches (63 x 76 cm) Original carved & gilded frame POA Provenance Descended through the Family Estate The y...

Youthful Thoughts Armand Point Oil on canvas, signed and dated 1889 lower left Image size: 18 1/4 x 25 3/4 inches (46.4 x 65.4 cm) Framed Provenance Private collection, France The p...

A R Phillips 20th Century Cathedral View Gouache on board, signed and dated 1946 bottom right Image Size: 12 1/2 x 13 inches (30 x 32.5 cm) Handmade framed This painting, originally...

Preparing to Sail C. Rex James Oil on canvas on board Image size: 17 1/4 x 21 1/2 inches ( 54.5 x 43.5 cm) Original frame This painting by James captures a serene scene of several y...

Sailor Smoking a Pipe Arthur David McCormick Oil on canvas Image size: 19 x 25 1/2 inches (48 x 65 cm) Contemporary frame Arthur David McCormick (1860–1943) was a notable British illustrator and painter, renowned for his landscapes, historical scenes, naval subjects, and genre scenes. Born in Coleraine, County Londonderry, he pursued his education at the Royal College of Art in London from 1883 to 1886. McCormick’s career was marked by his contributions to various illustrated magazines, including the English Illustrated Magazine and the Illustrated London News. He participated in significant expeditions, such as Sir Martin Conway’s journey to the Karakoram Himalayas in 1892 and Clinton T. Dent’s expedition to the Caucasus Mountains in 1895. His illustrations from these travels were featured in Conway’s book “Climbing and Exploration in the Karakoram-Himalayas” (1894) and his own publication “An Artist in the Himalayas” (1895). Throughout his career, McCormick illustrated nearly thirty books, focusing on travel and adventure themes. Some of his notable works include illustrations for Edgar Allan Poe’s “Tales of Mystery and Imagination” (1905) and Henry Newbolt’s “Drake’s Drum and Other Songs of the Sea” (1914). He was also a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy from 1889 to 1938. Navy Cut Sailor Work...

Lord Strathnairm's Arab Charger Gourlay Steell Oil on canvas, signed lower right Image size: 39 x 44 1/8 inches (99.1 x 112.1 cm) Handmade frame POA Provenance Commissioned by Field...

Oil on canvas, signed bottom right Image size: 20 1/2 x 24 1/2 inches (53 x 62 cm) Original gilt frame Provenance Artist’s Estate Robert Deborne Robert Deborne was born in 1870 in...

After Robert Walker 1599 - 1658 Portrait of Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), bust-length, in armour Oil on canvas Image size: 24 x 29 inches (61 x 73 cm) Original carved gilt frame This...

Studio of Adriaen Isenbrandt 1510 - 1551 The Virgin and Child Enthroned Oil on oak panel, wax seal verso Image size: 10 3/4 x 8 inches (27 x 20.5 cm) Contemporary style frame (image below) POA Provenance Collection of Mrs Marianne Hudson Mary, holding Jesus in her arms, is centrally positioned against a gold detailed architectural backdrop, reflecting the traditional iconography of the enthroned Virgin and Child. This composition suggests the theme of “Maestà” or “Majesty,” emphasising the figures religious significance. In the painting from the studio of Adriaen Isenbrandt, the artist masterfully infuses the scene with rich symbolism and hidden meanings that reflect the cultural and religious context of the period. The infant Christ, seated on the Virgin Mary’s lap, is draped in a delicate, translucent white garment that symbolises his purity. In his hand, he clutches a piece of coral, a multifaceted symbol representing immortality, youth, and health. Notably, coral was also a common teething tool during that era, adding another layer of contemporary relevance. A scarlet-headed blackbird, native to South America, perches gracefully on Christ’s outstretched finger. This bird is a potent symbol of creation and protection, enhancing the divine narrative of the scene. Mary, with a tender and loving gesture, caresses Christ’s back while gazing adoringly at her son, underscoring her role as the nurturing mother of God. Mary is centrally positioned within an architectural alcove, which subtly suggests a heavenly halo without explicitly depicting one. The alcove’s niches, traditionally used to emphasise the importance of sculptures, further highlight her significance. She is adorned in a voluminous red gown, with the undulating folds of the fabric accentuated by white highlights. The red colour of her dress symbolises maternal qualities, while the iridescent blue undercoat, visible in certain areas, signifies sanctity and purity due to its rarity and expense at the time. Moreover, Mary is depicted as the epitome of contemporary Medieval...

Oliver Messel 1904 - 1978 Portrait of a Young Man Oil on canvas, signed and dated 'Oliver Messel 1930' (on the stretcher) Image size: 30 x 25 inches (76.2 x 63.4 cm) Original frame Oliver Messel was born to Leonard and Maud Messel, née Sambourne, on the 13 January 1904 and was the youngest of three children. The family moved to Nymans, the Messel family home in Sussex, from nearby Balcombe in 1915. The house remained in the family until 1953 when it was bequeathed to the National Trust, following a fire in 1947 which destroyed a large portion of the house. The Messels originated from a line of German Jewish bankers on Leonard’s side, however, both family lines boast a number of artistic influences, including Maud’s father. Maud was brought up at 18 Stafford Terrace, Kensington (now known as the Linley Sambourne House Museum), amongst collections of antique porcelain and eighteenth-century furniture, and with a host of artistic visitors such as Henry Irving and Oscar Wilde. Oliver’s own upbringing appears to be influenced by his mother's, as the Messel family were also affiliated with artists and writers and were keen collectors of art, filling their home with textiles, paintings and collections of European and Asian fans from travels abroad. It was amongst such treasures that Oliver, Anne and Linley spent their childhood, in addition to the beauty of Nyman’s extensive gardens. Oliver was schooled at Eton but rather than going up to university was encouraged by family friends, gallery owner Archie Propert and painter and sculptor Glyn Philpot, to attend art school. In 1922 he enrolled at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, where he studied under Henry Tonks. Here, he met the artist Rex Whistler with whom he remained firm friends until Whistler’s death in WW2. Upon leaving the Slade in 1924 Oliver was apprenticed to the studio of portrait artist John Wells, where he learnt various Old Master painting techniques, and met artists such as Jacob Epstein, Augustus John and William Orpen. Whilst at the Slade Oliver developed his interest in Papier Mâché masks, a pastime popular amongst many art students at the time. Whilst apprenticed to artist John Wells several of Oliver’s masks were exhibited at the Claridge Gallery, London, alongside pieces by Whistler and other young artists. These were seen by Serge Diaghilev, director of the Ballet Russes, and Charles B. Cochran, a theatrical producer, both of whom made Oliver offers of work. His first job in the theatre was creating masks for the Ballets Russes’ Zéphyr et Flore, 1925, designed by the French artist Georges Braque, followed by numerous musical revues for Cochran, including Wake Up and Dream!, 1929, with music by Cole Porter. It was during these revues, working with Porter and Noel Coward, that Oliver also began to design headdresses and costumes. In 1932 he was rewarded with his first full commission to design both costume and sets for Helen!, directed by Max Reinhardt. The production design is still celebrated today for its innovative approach and ground-breaking ‘white on white’ aesthetic, which referenced ‘Greek temples, Rococo drapes, Baroque colonnades and Louis XIV carousels’. The success of Helen! led to further offers within the theatre including Reinhardt’s version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Old Vic in 1937, starring Vivien Leigh as Titania and Robert Helpmann as Oberon, the Jean Cocteau play The Infernal Machine in 1940, and Christopher Fry’s translation of Jean Anouilh’s Ring Round the Moon, 1950. One of Oliver’s best-known productions during this period was the Russian ballet The Sleeping Beauty, performed by Sadler’s Wells Ballet in 1946 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Encompassing over 200 costumes and four set changes, Oliver’s romantic designs were celebrated for bringing colour back to post-war London, and variations on his designs are still used today. Additional designs for the ballet included Comus in 1940, for which he was released from war duties, and Homage to the Queen, choreographed by Frederick Ashton and performed in 1953 for the Queen’s coronation. His first opera was in 1940 for Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte at the Royal Opera House, followed by a series of productions at the newly founded Glyndebourne Opera House in Sussex, for which Oliver also designed the proscenium arch. He triumphed in 1956 designing a season of four different productions for their Mozart bicentennial, also providing illustrations for the programme covers. His popularity also spread beyond theatre to film, were he worked on over eight different feature films including Romeo and Juliet, 1936, directed by George Cukor. During a three-month research trip to Italy Oliver collected over 3,000 reference images including postcards of artwork by Piero della Francesca, Giovanni Bellini and Leonardo da Vinci, along with prints and photographs of textiles and architectural features. A production of Gabriel Pascal’s Caesar and Cleopatra, 1946, starring Vivien Leigh and Claude Rains, was celebrated for Oliver’s ability to recreate the opulence and luxury of ancient Egypt under the constraints of wartime rationing. Such was his skill that Vivien Leigh in a letter to Oliver declared that “I have of course told Pascal that nobody in the world must do the costumes except you.” He was later nominated for an Academy Award for his work on his final film Suddenly, Last Summer, 1959; an adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ American Southern Gothic mystery. Having started his artistic career as a portrait apprentice, capturing the faces of family and friends, Oliver continued to develop this practice until the end of his life.  His style is said to have been influenced by Glyn Philpot, the Messel’s family friend who encouraged Oliver from an early age in his pursuit of art and design. His most prolific period came in the 1950s during which he produced over 50 portraits, which were shown in exhibitions in New York, London and Barbados. The exhibitions included both well-known faces and anonymous sitters captured on Oliver’s travels, and a number of these works have entered private collections. He continued to paint after moving to the Caribbean in 1966, capturing society figures and the rich and famous including fashion designer Carolina Herrera and Bianca Jagger. His style remained unchanged throughout his career, using the same soft painterly strokes and subtle palette as in his theatre designs. By far his greatest contribution in addition to theatre and film was Oliver’s interior and architectural designs. Another, much celebrated commission included Rayne shoe shop in Old Bond Street, where he created jewel-like interiors using the same practice of scaled models as his set designs. Other notable interior designs include those for Norwich and Bath Assembly Rooms, Flaxley Abbey in Gloucestershire, Rosehill Theatre in Cumbria and the Reader’s Digest offices in Paris. However, upon moving to Barbados in 1966, Oliver embraced a new career envisioning architectural concepts for private houses, hotels and public buildings, utilising his experience with interior design to furnish them with bespoke items of furniture and textiles. His first project was Maddox, the deserted eighteenth-century plantation house bought by himself and his partner Vagn Riis-Hansen in 1964. The existing building and gardens were remodelled to Oliver’s designs embracing an inherent theatricality with views out to sea. These were framed by terraces and verandas which extended out from the living rooms creating what is often referred to as a Caribbean style of ‘indoor-outdoor’ living. For the woodwork he used a shade of green that is now known as ‘Messel green’ and often associated with the island of Barbados. Oliver was born into a wealthy family; he travelled extensively and was exposed to art and culture from a young age. A privileged youth, his name is often mentioned amongst the ‘Bright Young Things’, for whom costume parties at country houses and jaunts to Europe on a whim became a thing of fable. This informal group included people such as Cecil Beaton (a life-long friend whom Oliver first met at Eton), Lord Berners, Noel Coward, John Betjeman, Harold Acton, Nancy Mitford, Edith Sitwell, Stephen Tennant...

Reginald Brill 1902 - 1974 Oil on board Image Size: 8 ½ x 10 ½ inches (21.6 x 26.7 cm) Original gilt frame This humorous painting captures the artists perspective of 'A long Day' wi...

An Abandoned Journey 20th Century British School Oil on canvas Image size: 24 x 24 inches (61 x 61 cm) Hand made frame The composition of this painting, featuring a red and white do...

Rotherhide Davie Oil on board Image size: 7 1/4 x 26 3/4 inches (18.5 x 68 cm) Hand made frame This oil painting offers a captivating glimpse into Rotherhithe, a historic area in So...

Georges-Antoine Rochegrosse French 1859 - 1938 The Palace Courtyard Oil on canvas, signed lower left Image size: 26 ¾ x 19 ¾ inches (68 x 50 cm) Ornate orientalist gilt frame (Image ...

James McIntosh Patrick 1907 - 1998 Braemar Castle Oil on board, signed and dated 1937 bottom right Image size: 31.5 x 47.5 inches (80 x 121 cm) Hand made frame £ Provenance Commissi...

Henri Lebasque French 1865 - 1937 Oil on canvas, signed bottom right Image size: 21 1/4 x  18 1/8 inches (54 x 45 cm) Gilt frame Painted circa 1907, Le Moulin de Douvres, Torcy invi...

Oil on canvas Image size: 13 x 16 1/2 inches (33 x 42 cm) Contemporary style frame (Image below) Provenance Private European Collection Darnley Fine Art offers this boldly brushed ...

Oil on panel, signed lower right & dated 1976 Image size: 9 1/2 x 10 1/5 inches (24.13 x 25.9 cm) Ebonised Dutch style frame As part of his four-seasons collection, Newcombe masterfully captures the changing patterns of the year. In this panel titled Winter, Newcombe portrays the snow covered, barren landscape stretching across the composition, evoking the essence of the frosty months. The townscape, meticulously detailed and enveloped by heavy clouds on a crisp, fresh day, transports viewers to the depths of winter. Peter Newcombe...

Oil on panel, signed & dated lower right 1975 Image size: 9 1/2 x 10 1/5 inches (24.13 x 25.9 cm) Ebonised Dutch style frame In this painting by Newcombe, the warmth of a summer sunset envelopes the rolling landscape. As part of his four-seasons collection this panel, Summer portrays the gentle heat of an orange sky, casting its glow upon the abundant fauna and ruined castle in the hilltop. The castle could be Corfe Castle. Peter Newcombe...

Oil on panel, signed & dated lower right 1975 Image size: 9 1/2 x 10 1/5 inches (24.13 x 25.9 cm) Ebonised Dutch style frame In this panel by Newcombe, the arrival of spring unfolds across the British landscape. As part of his four seasons collection, Spring captures both the seasonal lightness and the agricultural renewal of the land. The panel comes alive with fresh colours, breathing life into the pastoral landscape. Within this scene, the modern tractor and the traditional hay-cart exist side by side, symbolising the timeless interplay between progress and tradition across changing seasons. The plowed field stretches out its furrows promising abundance. On the left, a tall tree stands watch, its bare branches hinting at the upcoming spring bloom. Above, the sky breaks free from its cloudy cover, revealing a bright blue expanse, signalling sunnier days ahead. Peter Newcombe...

Oil on canvas Image size: 30 x 25 inches (76 x 63.5 cm) Contemporary hand-carved frame This is a charming 18th century portrait of a young boy, sporting a golden child's two-piece w...

Oil on panel, signed bottom left Image size: 6 x 11 inches (15.25 x 28 cm) This painting depicts a 16th century palace guard standing outside of an open door, wearing a set of armou...

Oil on board, signed top left Image size: 15 3/4 x 11 1/2 inches (40 x 29 cm) Bespoke gilt cased frame Provenance By descent from the estate of the artist Emma Fordyce MacRae Emma Fordyce MacRae was an American representational painter. She was a member of the Philadelphia Ten, a group of women artists who worked and exhibited together. Her work — including still lifes and paintings of women — shows the influence of Asian flower paintings and of Seurat. MacRae grew up in New York City, where she attended Miss Chapin's School and the Brearley School. She enrolled at the Art Students League in 1911, studying first with Frank DuMond and Kenneth Hayes Miller, and beginning in 1915, with Luis Mora, Ernest Blumenschein, and John French Sloan. She also attended one of Robert Reid's summer courses. MacRae's painting, "Green Jade," was shown at the Anderson Galleries in 1928, at an exhibit of artist members of the American Woman's Association. Many exhibitions and gallery showings followed. In 1937, MacRae's painting "A Persian Girl," was listed as deserving of special mention by The New York Times critic Edward Alden Jewell. In the 1940s, MacRae was chairman of the awards jury of the National Association of Women Artists. Galleries rediscovered MacRae's art in the 1980s; the Richard York Gallery in New York exhibited thirty of her paintings in December 1983. In 1987, her painting of a Venetian cafe was part of "American Women Artists, 1830-1930," an exhibition displayed at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. and in four other museums. MacRae had studios in New York City and in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Where MacRae painted her New England landscapes form the Cape Ann Landscapes...

Oil on board Image size: 15 3/4 x 11 1/2 inches (40 x 29 cm) Framed Provenance By descent from the estate of the artist Emma Fordyce MacRae Emma Fordyce MacRae was an American representational painter. She was a member of the Philadelphia Ten, a group of women artists who worked and exhibited together. Her work — including still lifes and paintings of women — shows the influence of Asian flower paintings and of Seurat. MacRae grew up in New York City, where she attended Miss Chapin's School and the Brearley School. She enrolled at the Art Students League in 1911, studying first with Frank DuMond and Kenneth Hayes Miller, and beginning in 1915, with Luis Mora, Ernest Blumenschein, and John French Sloan. She also attended one of Robert Reid's summer courses. MacRae's painting, "Green Jade," was shown at the Anderson Galleries in 1928, at an exhibit of artist members of the American Woman's Association. Many exhibitions and gallery showings followed. In 1937, MacRae's painting "A Persian Girl," was listed as deserving of special mention by The New York Times critic Edward Alden Jewell. In the 1940s, MacRae was chairman of the awards jury of the National Association of Women Artists. Galleries rediscovered MacRae's art in the 1980s; the Richard York Gallery in New York exhibited thirty of her paintings in December 1983. In 1987, her painting of a Venetian cafe was part of "American Women Artists, 1830-1930," an exhibition displayed at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. and in four other museums. MacRae had studios in New York City and in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Where MacRae painted her New England landscapes form the Cape Ann Landscapes...

Oil on oak panel Image size: 24 1/2 x 41 1/4 inches (62.25 x 104.75 cm) 19th Century Handmade frame POA Jan Brueghel the Younger Jan Brueg...

Oil on original canvas Image size: 78 1/4 x 44 inches (199 x 112 cm) Contemporary style frame Provenance Sir Rowland Cotton, 1608 Family Descent Private Collection Sir Rowland Cot...

Oil on canvas Image size: 12 x 10 inches (30.5 x 25.5 cm) Period hand carved gilt frame This 17th century Dutch genre painting depicts a young woman holding a jug with a landscape l...

Oil on canvas Image size: 24 x 28 1/2 inches (61 x 73 cm) Contemporary style hand made frame This is an incredibly carefully executed work. On what appears to be a wooden ledge we see a plate of freshwater fish, possibly a roach, a copper pot, a larger terracota pot...

James Fellowes Flourished 1719 - 1750 Portrait of William Henry Kerr, Earl of Ancram, 4th Marquess of Lothian Oil on canvas, signed & dated 1747 Image size: 29 1/2 x 24 1/2 inches (75 x 62 cm) Original gilt wood frame William Henry Kerr was born a member of the Scottish peerage to William, third Marquess of Lothian, and his first wife Margaret, daughter of Sir Thomas Nicholson of Kemnay, first Baronet. William was styled Master Jedburgh until 1722, when his father was elevated to a Marquessate, after which he was referred to as Lord Jedburgh until 1735. Following his father’s military footsteps, on 20 June 1735 Ancram was commissioned as a cornet to the regiment (11th Dragoons) of his grand-uncle, Lord Mark Kerr. Ancram married Lady Caroline...

Oil on canvas, signed bottom left Image size: 11 x 9 1/2 inches (28 x 24 cm) Gilt frame Provenance Thos. Agnew & Sons Pyms Gallery Robert Gemmell Hutchinson A native of Edinburgh, R. Gemmell Hutchison was born in 1855, and died on 22nd August 1936. After his school days he began work as a seal engraver, but soon left that occupation for painting and studied at the Art School of the Board of Manufactures. He exhibited for the first time in the Royal Scottish Academy in 1878 and in the Royal Academy in 1881. A very early work was acquired by the Royal Association for the Promotion of the Fine Arts in Scotland. An assiduous and prolific worker, Hutchison painted in oil, water, and pastel, and with varied subjects—figures, landscapes, the seashore, domestic interiors and occasionally portraits. As indicated, his works from the first found a ready sale, and he is represented in the permanent collections of Oldham - Glasgow, Kelvingrove Gallery; Modern Arts Association, Edinburgh; Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery ; Bolton; Toronto, Canada; Fine Art Association, Canada ; Blackpool; Hamilton Trustees, Glasgow; Paisley...

Oil on canvas, signed bottom left Image size: 24 x 20 inches (61 x 51 cm) Contemporary style hand made frame Joseph Biel Joseph Biel was a painter and photographer who was born in ...

Oil on oak panel Image size: 25 1/2 x 19 inches (37.5 x 27 inches) 18th Century Auricular gilt frame Provenance New York private collection This portrait of the King Edward VI depicts the boy-king standing in a black and gold embroidered doublet, wearing a jewelled cap. King Edward holds a staff with a globus cruciger set on the table beside him. No expense has been spared in the making of this piece, with gold leaf being applied in many areas to give the effect of the costume's gold embroidery, chain of office and other metal accessories. As the precious male heir to the Tudor dynasty...

Oil on canvas, monogrammed bottom right, inscription and artist label on stretcher Image size: 12 x 24 inches (30.5 x 61 cm) Original frame Provenance Collection of Mrs Fairchild, L...

Oil on canvas Image size: 30 x 25 inches (76 x 63.5 cm) Hand carved gilt frame This is a charming 18th century portrait of a young boy, sporting a golden child's two-piece with a fl...

Oil on canvas Image size: 22 x 20 inches (22.75 x 51 cm) Pierced gilt frame This half-length portrait shows the sitter with her head and eyes looking over her shoulder, to the right. She is dressed in a delicate blue dress and blue shawl with her hair tied up away from her face. The composition of the painting is simple but effective; the woman stands out and is the undeniable focus of the viewer's attention. George Romney's artistic style is characterised by its focus on the beauty and elegance of human forms. Here, one can appreciate his ability to capture the delicacy of facial features and the soft textures of clothing. In addition, Romney has used a soft and diffuse brushstroke technique that creates a light and soft effect in the work. The dark and diffused background highlights the young woman's figure even more, creating an effect of depth and realism. It is possible that this sitter is Miss Anne Dutton. George Romney Romney was a fashionable portrait painter of late 18th-century English society. In his portraits Romney avoided delving into the character or sensibilities of the sitter. His great success with his society patrons depended largely on just this ability for dispassionate flattery. Line rather than colour dominates; the flowing rhythms and easy poses of Roman classical sculpture underlie the smooth patterns of his compositions. From 1755 to 1757 Romney was the pupil of Christopher Steele, an itinerant portrait and genre painter. Romney’s career began when he toured the northern English counties painting portraits for a few guineas each. In 1762 he went to London. His history painting The Death of General Wolfe won him an award from the Society of Arts; nonetheless he turned almost immediately to portrait painting. In 1764 he paid his first visit to Paris, where he was befriended by Joseph Vernet. Romney especially admired the work of Nicolas Le Sueur, whose use of the antique strongly appealed to him. In 1773 he went to Italy for two years, where he studied Raphael’s Stanze frescoes in Rome, Titian’s paintings...

Oil on canvas, signed bottom right Image size: 26 1/4 x 19 3/4 inches (41.5 x 50 cm) Hand made gilt frame Provenance Artist's Estate This work is sold with a certificate of authe...

Oil on canvas, signed bottom right Image size: 29 x 40 inches (74 x 101 cm) Contemporary style handmade frame Provenance Artist's Estate Robert Deborne Robert Deborne was born in...

Oil on oak panel Image size: 14 1/4 x 11 3/4 inches (36 x 30 cm) Period style frame This portrait shows Chaucer with a string of beads in one hand and a writing implement in the other. The Arms in the top left of the picture are the Arms of Chaucer, featuring a per pale argent and gules, a bend counterchanged. This painting appears to derive, like all other portraits of Chaucer, from an illustration in an early fifteenth-century manuscript, Hoccleve's De Regimine Principum. Here Hoccleve included one portrait of Chaucer, showing him with an inkhorn around his neck and holding a rosary in one hand. Since it is likely that Hoccleve had met Chaucer, many scholars believe this could be the most genuine representation of the English writer with all other depictions being seemingly based on it. In almost all portraits of Chaucer, including this one, the poet is shown wearing a pendant attached to his vest. This item is often considered to be a penner, included in the artworks as a sign of the general occupation of a writer. Whilst the pendant is generally accepted as a case for a writing instrument, possibly with equal plausibility, it has also been suggested that the item is an ampulla, a small lead vial containing water and the blood of St. Thomas Becket...

Oil on canvas Image size: 35 3/4 x 35 3/4 inches (91 x 91 cm) Entitled, monogrammed, dated 'November 1974' and inscribed on reverse

Oil on oak panel Image size: 9 x 7 1/4 inches (23 x 18.5 cm) Period style hand made frame This is a self-portrait is most likely by a 17th century English...

Oil on panel Image size: 12 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches (31.75 x 23.5 cm) Original frame This is a captivating portrait of a young Bedouin. The painting has a sensitive and cohesive colour p...

Oil on canvas Image size: 30 1/4 x 25 inches (77 x 63 cm) Original hand carved gilt frame Provenance Private Estate, England This is a very fine example of Kneller's work in the early 18th century. Here, the emphasis is placed directly on the sitter's alluring femininity, with this being enhanced by the falling hair around her shoulder. This looseness of focus is created with a free fluidity of brushstrokes. He has used a Rembrandt-esque technique of subtle tones in the face, and we can see how Kneller often allowed the bluer ground layer to show through when suggesting the darker flesh tones.The painterly technique seen here is an excellent demonstration of Kneller’s style. The bold handling of the flesh tones is Kneller at his most emphatic, while the sizeable areas of dark grey ground we see are indicative of his method of painting quickly, developed by this stage in his career to cope with the many demands of a large circle of patrons. The same effect is used for the shadows in the face: rather than paint darker colours on top of the pink flesh tones, as most artists would have done, Kneller instead painted in the reverse order, using the ground layer for his dark shadows, and then painting the lighter colours on top. Often he worked with an almost dry brush in strong firm strokes. Here the flesh tones have been rapidly, almost roughly painted, with bold areas of impasto giving way to areas where almost no paint has been applied at all, a trick that allowed Kneller to use the blue-grey ground layer to show darker flesh tones. Godfrey Kneller...

Oil on canvas, signed and dated '38' bottom right Original title inscription and date 'Nov 19th 1838' verso Image size: 30 x 24 inches (76 1/4 x 61 cm) Contemporary style hand made f...

Oil on canvas, signed bottom right and dated '1840' Image size: 22 x 30 inches (56 x 76.25 cm) Albert Bierstadt Recognized as the foremost painter of the American frontier during the nineteenth-century, Albert Bierstadt was born in Solingen, Germany, in 1830. At the age of two, he and his family emigrated to the United States, settling in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Nothing is known of his early art training; however, he might possibly have been influenced by local landscape painters. By the time he was twenty, he was supporting himself by teaching "monochromatic" painting and his work was beginning to attract the attention of New Bedford collectors. In 1853, Bierstadt traveled to Düsseldorf in order to broaden his art education. It was there that he was associated with such American artists as Worthington Whittredge and Carl Wimar, all of whom frequently gathered in the studio of the German-American history painter, Emanuel Leutze...

Oil on canvas Image size: 26 x 37 inches (66 x 94 cm) Period hand carved gilt frame The pictorial arrangement of the Holy Family, with various saints in a landscape, was very popular in sixteenth-century Venice, following the prototype of Giovanni Bellini. Possibly intended for private devotion, this picture is a representative example of the compositional type known as the sacra conversazione...

Watercolour and ink on graphite, signed lower right Image size: 22 x 17 1/2 inches (56 x 44.5 cm) Original frame POA Inscribed on reverse 'Frank Dobson's Assistant - Celia Gills' F...

Mayer 20th Century Figurine Oil on board, signed lower right Image size: 16 x 13 inches Contemporary frame

Oil on canvas, signed & dated 19'28' Image size: 19 x 49 inches (48 x 124.5 cm) Original Gilt frame Johann Vincenz Cissarz Johann Vincenz Cissarz was born on January 22nd 1873, Dan...

Oil on board, signed and dated '50 bottom right, entitled on reverse Image size: 13 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches (34.5 x 23 cm) Original frame Exhibitions 1989, Belgrave Gallery, 22 Mason's Yard, Duke Street, St. James', London SW1 'Clifford Hall (1904-1973) 15th June - 14th July, no.12. Clifford Hall Clifford Hall was born in Wandsworth in 1904, and spent his youth in nearby Richmond upon Thames...

Watercolour and ink on paper, signed and dated '1939' bottom left and entitled on the reverse Image size: 18 x 9 inches (45.75 x 23 cm) Original frame This is a wonderfully moving w...

Oil and Polyviny on board, signed on reverse Image size: 15 1/2 x 11 3/4 inches (39.5 x 30 cm) Original frame Exhibited Pictures for Scottish Schools, 1967 Elspeth Spottiswood Bo...

Oil on board Image size: 13 1/2 x 9 inches (34.25 x 23 cm) Hand made contemporary style frame This is a classic Italian landscape painted in an academic style, taking inspiration fr...