Constance Frederica Gordon Cumming (1837-1924)

Elephant Troughs in a wooded Clearing, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Details

Constance Frederica Gordon Cumming (1837-1924)
Elephant Troughs in a wooded Clearing, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
signed and dated 'June 73. C.F.G.C.' (lower left)and inscribed 'Anaradhapura.o-called Stone Canoes. probably/Elephant troughs, the smaller one/hollowed out of one stone is 16 ft long. 3ft 7 wide. 2ft 3 d/The larger one is made of 3/stones.62ft long 4ft wide. 2ft 9 deep' (lower right)
pencil and watercolour heightened with touches of white
10 x 14 in. (25.4 x 35.5 cm.); and watercolours of coffee clearing, Batticaloa Coast, and Drali Cliffby the same hand (3)

Lot Essay

Constance Frederica Gordon Cumming travelled in India in 1868 arriving in Calcutta on 23 December. In her autobiography she describes her year in India thus: 'I was taken from city to city, always with leisure for painting some striking scenes.....I secured upwards of 100 very interesting large pictures.' (C.F. Gordon Cumming, Memories, London, 1904, p. 199). She returned to England in 1869 only to be tempted to further her travels in an extended visit to Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka) at the invitation of Rev. Willoughby Jeremy the Bishop of Colombo. Constance remained in Sri Lanka until 1874 and '..brought away several hundred very careful paintings of exceeding interest...' (C.F. Gordon Cumming, Memories, London, 1904, p. 213).

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