British Art: August 2011

Richard Dadd's art flourished during his years incarcerated in bleak Victorian institutions for the murder of his father. Arifa Akbar reports.

'The Demon Box' will be staged at the Finborough Theatre, London SW10 (020 7244 7439) to 1 October. 'Richard Dadd: the Artist and the Asylum' by Nicholas Tromans is published by Tate Publishing. An exhibition of Richard Dadd's work from the Bethlem Royal Hospital Collection runs at the Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham (020 8831 6000) to 2 October

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/richard-dadd-masterpieces-of-the-asylum-2345818.html
http://www.richmond.gov.uk/home/leisure_and_culture/arts/orleans_house_gallery/orleans_house_gallery_exhibitions/richard_dadd_exhibition.htm

1851

This display includes examples of both secular and religious virtuoso carving. It is centred around an ornamental neo-Gothic font that was probably made by J. Castle of Oxford. The pair of mounted jug-shaped vases flanking the Crucifixion are by a London manufacturer called Egisippo Norchi.

1851

The large cross was designed and sculpted by the Hon. Harriet M. Ross of Rosstrevor, Ireland. It depicts scenes from the New Testament, including the Crucifixion in the centre and the Resurrection at the top. The polygonal glazed display case to the right belonged to Spiers & Son of Oxford. It contained objects and furniture made of papier mâché.

chalk, 1898
http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw07174/Edward-Carson-1st-Baron-Carson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Robert_Staples,_12th_Baronet

Known as the "barefoot baronet", he refused to wear shoes as he believed that leather soles would block out the natural electricity exuded by the earth and thus impair the health. Rubber soles he considered “absolute suicide”. He would travel to Belfast solely to walk on the tramlines as he believed this extra boost of electricity would be especially beneficial.

The location of two stained glass windows that inspired Vincent van Gogh has baffled historians for almost 150 years.

Experts have been intrigued ever since the post-impressionist painter wrote about seeing their designs in London in 1876.

For more than a century, no-one had a clue which windows he was referring to but now an art historian has finally traced them to a remote village in Hampshire.

After a bit of detective work, Max Donnelly found the two, foot-feet high windows to St Andrew's church in Owslebury near Winchester.

The windows were commissioned by the Earl of Northesk to show his wife and daughter who both pre-deceased him.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2029973/Century-old-mystery-stained-glass-windows-inspired-van-Gogh-solved-located-Hampshire-church.html#ixzz1W8PJcORc

Mixing different periods on the this my main blog seemed like a good idea but is confusing the hell out of me, if no-one else. I've just acquired several hundred new Newlyn/British Impressionist pictures in addition to the pile I already have of Victorian/Edwardian. I guess the first idea I had of making separate blogs makes more sense. It gives viewers a better choice and stops me posting to this blog every few hours.

I will be making a few minor changes in that I will be adding more pictures from new catalogues I've bought that often aren't on the net. Though I'm not in the trade I do regularly check the main dealers and auctions and want to highlight more pictures for sale that others might be interested in. I also want to include posts on artists biographies and technical details. I hope in time to add more detailed separate 'catalogues' on the main artists I personally research.

My health is still pretty awful but since I can't go out much I will try to keep these blogs up as long as I can. Who knows I may get better!

I do welcome comments and will try to help with queries and valuations when I can - but bear in mind I am only an interested amateur. I'm retired now but regret not buying more pictures when I was younger. But I was busy flying all over the world and it didn't seem so important then.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Monday, August 29, 2011

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Friday, August 26, 2011