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Lot Essay
Painted tin trays (actually made of tin-plated sheet iron) were an important product in Birmingham and Pontypool. Most examples have a "sub-polite" appearance, which makes this example somewhat unusual. However, other painted trays from the same hand are known, including at least one other version of this subject (J. Ayres, Two Hundred Years of English Naive Art 1700-1900, fig. 18) and Noah's Art (op. cit., fig. 19).
The subject of this painting is biblical: "And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field" (Genisis 2.20). Themes that included numerous animals, such as Animals Entering Noah's Art, Orpheus Charming the Birds and Beasts, and The Peaceable Kingdom, could result in compositions with a similar character. The Peaceable Kingdom was a subject that was painted on numerous occasions by the American Edward Hicks (1780-1849) who, as a coach painter, was a typical vernacular artist.
The subject of this painting is biblical: "And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field" (Genisis 2.20). Themes that included numerous animals, such as Animals Entering Noah's Art, Orpheus Charming the Birds and Beasts, and The Peaceable Kingdom, could result in compositions with a similar character. The Peaceable Kingdom was a subject that was painted on numerous occasions by the American Edward Hicks (1780-1849) who, as a coach painter, was a typical vernacular artist.