An angler on a Devonshire river

Details

John Frederick Lewis, R.A., P.O.W.S. (1805-1876)
An angler on a Devonshire river
signed and dated 'JF Lewis. 1826' (lower left)
pencil and watercolour with gum arabic, heightened with touches of bodycolour and with scratching out
10 5/8 x 14 3/8 in. (27 x 36.5 cm.)

Provenance

Arnold Munns.
with Agnew's, London.

Special notice

VAT rate of 17.5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.

Sale room notice

It has been suggested that the signature and date may have been strenghtened. We are grateful to Briony Llewellyn for suggesting that a date of 1828 is more probable for the execution of the present watercolour.

Lot Essay

The present watercolour is closely related to the watercolour of Sir Edwin Landseer, R.A. with his Ghillie fishing for salmon, 1830, see T. Wilcox, The Triumph of Watercolour, London, 2005, p. 128. However there are crucial differences in the clothing of the angler; the coat is longer and more old fashioned and the top hat is dark instead of light. It is possible that Lewis developed the idea of the picture of his friend Landseer, a keen fisherman, from the present watercolour.

We are grateful to Briony Llewellyn for her help in preparing this catalogue entry.

More from British Art on Paper

View All