Lot Essay
George Ricard-Cordingley was born in Lyon in 1873 and received his first artistic training from amongst others J.C. Cazin and the renowned Dutch Impressionist painter J.B. Jongkind. The artist initially painted portraits, exhibiting regularly in Paris and London, and was especially admired by Queen Victoria and the english nobility. Afraid of maintaining a mundane style, Cordingley eventually split with the social environment in question and settled in the simple fishing-village of Boulogne-sur-Mer. There, he devoted himself mainly to marine studies and the portrayal of the village's inhabitants. Praised for his subtle rendering of the sea in hazy weather conditions, Cordingley is also referred to as the painter of colourful greys.