Affordable art: traditional works take centre stage at auction
11 November 2020 Traditional pictures are often admired on account of their artistic quality and sense of history.
‘The Seaweed Gatherers’ by Johan Scherrewitz – estimated at £1000-1500 at Tennants.
They remain a popular choice for both knowledgeable collectors and also for people more generally looking to decorate their walls and display their taste.
A large supply of Old Masters, Victorian art, vintage watercolours and works on paper appear at sales across the country on a regular basis and give plenty of options for buyers. Here we pick out four examples from Tennants’ auction of traditional pictures on Tennants Nov 14.
1. The Seaweed Gatherers
Johan Frederick Cornelis Scherrewitz (1886-1951) was a Dutch artist who worked in Amsterdan, Laren and then Haarlem. He specialised in landscapes and coastal scenes and his pictures were popular in the UK as well as his homeland during his day.
An example, pictured above, will appear at the Tennants sale on November 14. The Seaweed Gatherers is an 8 x 15.75in (20 x 40cm) signed oil on panel. It shows a fisherman with a horse and cart on the shore the shore and has the artist’s trademark handling of the North Sea sky.
It is estimated at £1000-1500.
View the catalogue entry for this Johan Scherrewitz painting on thesaleroom.com.
2. Yorkshire landscape
‘Cattle watering at Bolton Abbey’ by William Mellor – estimated at £1000-1500 at Tennants.
William Mellor (1851-1931) was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire and specialised in landscapes of the Lake District, North Wales as well as his home county.
This example, a 19.25 x 2ft 6in (49 x 75cm) signed oil on canvas is offered at the Tennants traditional pictures sale. A vintage depiction of cattle in a meadow, it displays many of the artist’s familiar qualities and also shows a glimpse of Bolton Abbey in the background.
It is estimated at £1000-1500.
View the catalogue entry for this William Mellor painting on thesaleroom.com.
3. Two historical heroes
‘The meeting of Nelson and Wellington’ by Arthur David McCormick – estimated at £800-1200 at Tennants.
An illustrator and painter of historical and naval subjects, as well as genre scenes, Arthur David McCormick (1860-1943) studied at the Royal College of Art where he developed a strong handling of colour and the ability to convey individual character.
An example of his work appears at the Tennants sale.
The meeting of Nelson and Wellington depicts the two famous figures seemingly engaged in a frank discussion and has a typical narrative quality that the artist may have derived from working as an illustrator.
A 19.25 x 23.5in (49cm by 59.5cm) signed oil on canvas, it is estimated at £800-1200.
View the catalogue entry for this Arthur David McCormick painting on thesaleroom.com.
4. Lake in Lombardy
‘Lago d'Iseo’ by Edward Lear – estimated at £800-1200 at Tennants.
Edward Lear (1812-1888) is one of the best known Victorian watercolourists who travelled widely produced numerous views of Italy, Greece and the near East.
His works appear frequently on the market and the Tennants sale on November 14 will offer Lago d'Iseo, a view of a lake in Lombardy, Italy, fed by the Oglio river.
Measuring 4 x 8in (10.5cm x 20cm), it is a mixed media work and is signed and dated May 21, 1867. It is also extensively inscribed.
A relatively small sketch by the artist, it could therefore be more affordable than many larger examples. At Tennants, it is estimated at £800-1200.
View the catalogue entry for this Edward Lear work on paper on thesaleroom.com.
