David Lay FRICS
Lot 245
EDWARD PRENTISA Throng in Leicester SquareOil on canvasSigned and dated 182583 x 107cm.An important work by the English Genre painter.Prentis was a popular artist during his lifetime and known for his domestic interiors. This, an exterior scene, is an unusual work for the artist, portraying a large crowd of people in Leicester Square. On the right hand side of the painting we can identify the Sablonniere Hotel, run by an Italian named Pagliano which was a popular establishment with foreign visitors to London and was situated on the South-East side of the square, in a building in which the artist Hogarth had lived for many years. In the foreground two wealthily dressed women in silks and bonnets look wholly out of their depth whilst surrounded and jostled by a melee of all manner of people; spectators of a Punch and Judy show, tradespeople selling pies, cabbages, brooms and brushes, gentlemen in top hats, a beggar with outstretched hand and a blacked-up man or sweep are just some of the characters that make up the crowd. Between the two wealthy women marches a smartly dressed black boy. The larger of the two women looks down in dismay as a terrier aggressively tugs at her expensive paisley shawl, she has dropped a purse out of which her aperient pills (laxatives) have rolled onto the ground before her. Placards advertising the plays in London's theatre land and boxing matches are held aloft. The boxing placard or 'Noble Science of Self-Defence' as it is described in the painting, was for an exhibition at Fives Court. "FIVES-COURT. A place distinguished (in addition to the game of fives) for sparring matches between the pugilists. The combatants belonging to the prize-ring exhibit the art of self-defence at the Fives-Court with the gloves; and it is frequently at this Court where public challenges are given and accepted by the boxers. The most refined and fastidious person may attend these exhibitions of sparring with pleasure; as they are conducted with all the neatness, elegance and science of FENCING. Admission, 3s. each person. It is situated in St. Martin's Street, Leicester-fields."(Grose's Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, revised and corrected by Pierce Egan 1823) Interestingly, the Fives-Court operated as a boxing venue from 1802 until it closed in 1826 and was demolished as part of the redevelopment of the Royal Mews area into what became Trafalgar Square. The site is now under the northern edge of the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery.The quality of this painting is particularly pleasing, the colour and brightness of the oil being extremely good. Rich in character and detail, pathos and humour, this is a particularly fine work by Prentis. (See illustration) Condition report: The following report has been commissioned from a painting conservator. The painting has a light biscuit-coloured ground. In the foreground and buildings a second resin-rich preparatory layer has been applied to mark out the composition. This layer varies in colour according to the buildings and figures but is always thin, transparent, high resin content. This layer has been vulnerable to cleaning.There are areas where drying cracks have developed during the painting process, eg. trees, areas of black paint, shadows in the foreground. The underlying rennais layer is the cause of these crack. The cracks have been widely overpainted.Buildings: the windows and roofs have been somewhat overpainted.Tree, left: extensive drying cracks - overpainted.Figures: Many of the faces remain in good condition with a high degree of detail. There is overpainting in the hair (black paint) and thinners around some of the faces where the preparatory layer has been removed by over cleaning. The central figure in the lilac dress is quite well preserved, as are the figures standing to the left, aside from the blacks and browns. The basket of vegetables and umbrellas are good.Overall: Many areas well preserved but matt areas are overpaint, covering drying cracks and wear.
