.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Born in Manchester in 1878, the son of a manufacturer, Walter Ernest Webster won a scholarship to the National Art Training Schools (which became the Royal College of Art) and later attended the Royal Academy Schools. His first success was in 1912 when he was awarded a bronze medal at the Paris Salon, and he went on to receive silver medals in 1913 and 1914, and eventually a gold in 1931. Renowned chiefly for his skill as a figure and portrait painter, his works were particularly popular amongst American collectors. Webster was also a prolific and respected illustrator for magazines.
A.S.L. comments in The Studio Magazine, '[in] Vienna, a few English artists, designating themselves the "Label Group" held an exhibition here ... Mr W.E. Webster in addition to an excellent portrait showed ... The Japanese Fan [which] is a good example of this artist's manner. Well composed, the colours being judiciously subordinated and the whole is essentially decorative'.
Webster's brushstrokes, evident particularly in his use of white highlighting the crisp materials of the dress and hat. The influence of Watteau, whom Webster admired greatly, can be seen in the present work. As in one of Watteau's 'fêtes galantes', The Japanese Fan depicts an elegant representation of polite society. The lady depicted sits amidst a sumptuous arrangment of exotic items - the fan, the screen in the background, and the unusual choice of seeds rather than flowers in a vase.
A.S.L. comments in The Studio Magazine, '[in] Vienna, a few English artists, designating themselves the "Label Group" held an exhibition here ... Mr W.E. Webster in addition to an excellent portrait showed ... The Japanese Fan [which] is a good example of this artist's manner. Well composed, the colours being judiciously subordinated and the whole is essentially decorative'.
Webster's brushstrokes, evident particularly in his use of white highlighting the crisp materials of the dress and hat. The influence of Watteau, whom Webster admired greatly, can be seen in the present work. As in one of Watteau's 'fêtes galantes', The Japanese Fan depicts an elegant representation of polite society. The lady depicted sits amidst a sumptuous arrangment of exotic items - the fan, the screen in the background, and the unusual choice of seeds rather than flowers in a vase.