Next 19th Century and British Impressionist Art auction, taking place on 30 March at Bonhams, features a broad range of artworks at various price points. Highlights include paintings by Friedrich Nerly, John Atkinson Grimshaw and Ramón Tusquets y Maignon among others. Here, Specialist, Leo Webster, tells us more about his top picks from the sale.
Lot 91. Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida, Patio de la Casa Sorolla, Elena Sorolla en el jardín. Estimate: £ 80,000 – 120,000.
Painted in 1920, only three years before Sorolla’s death, this picture offers an intimate insight into the veteran artist’s Madrid home. His youngest daughter, Elena, stands at the threshold between the house and the artist’s much-loved garden. The scene is filled with interest, with wall decorations, tiles, and the ornate wrought iron gates being loosely rendered, their colours and general impression prioritised over detail. The light streaming in through the doors beautifully illuminates the scene, creating variances of light and dark, and a general impression of the warm Spanish springtime. Shortly after the completion of this painting, Sorolla suffered a stroke which ended his career, the present work is therefore amongst the last that he painted.
Lot 61. Herbert James Draper, The Mountain Mists. Estimate: £ 30,000 – 50,000.
In this work, Draper shows the mist over the mountains personified by three beautiful, sensual female figures. The figures writhe as they are drawn towards the sun breaking through the sky. Upon meeting the rays of light, they appear to be banished into the depths of the mountain. The backdrop for the work is based on Draper’s studies of the Alps around Mont Blanc. This work is known to be a smaller version of an oil bearing the same title which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1912. The subject, colouring, and composition offer an excellent insight into Draper’s influences; it is a beautiful example of late-Victorian classicism as well as European symbolist art.
Lot 36. Friedrich Nerly, Bacino di San Marco, Venice. Estimate: £ 200,000 – 300,000.
At the age of twenty-one, Friedrich Nerly moved from his native Germany to Rome where he lived for seven years before settling in Venice, where he spent the rest of his life. It was in Venice that Nerly established himself as one of the most highly regarded painters in the city. His subject was almost always the streets and waterways around him. It is clear that he wished to show the reality of the living Venice whilst simultaneously capturing its romantic spirit. The present lot is a masterpiece in this aim – the artist has adopted a viewpoint which allows him to capture in meticulous detail the most iconic buildings of the city; fishermen and merchants fill the bustling entrance to the Grand Canal, whilst gondolas line the Riva degli Schiavoni and weave their way through the waterway; the soft, pink-golden light give a sense of the atmosphere unique to La Serenissima.
Lot 108. Sir Alfred James Munnings, PRA, RWS, Calcot Park. Estimate: £ 25,000 – 35,000.
The present work is a very fine example of Munnings’ en plein air painting. With light dancing through the leaves, the various trees and foliage create a fantastic tapestry of brushstrokes and colours. Believed to have been painted in 1917 at Calcot Park, where Munnings worked during the First World War in the purchasing and training of horses and mules, this work gives an insight into how the artist spent his free time. Noted above all for his love of horses, although there are none shown here, there is perhaps some symbolism with the inclusion of a magnificent horse chestnut in the centre of the scene.
Lot 60. Henry Ryland, RI, Lumen de Lumine. Estimate: £ 4,000 – 6,000.
Although perhaps best known for his Pears Soap advert, the present work, along with the further two offered in this sale, showcase the truly wonderful quality of Ryland’s draughtsmanship – so fine, with light, weight, and form beautifully observed. In subject, style, and composition, one can sense his awareness and sensibility towards those other artists working in Britain throughout his career, from the classicists to the Pre-Raphaelites. However, there is also something distinctive to Ryland here, perhaps relating to his broad ranging design work, particularly his designs for stained glass. This is a truly exceptional example, in wonderful condition, of Ryland’s skill in drawing.
Source: Bonhams
