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Lot Essay
Rheam was born into a Quaker family in Birkenhead, and in about 1890 he moved to Cornwall, settling first at Polperro and then at Newlyn. The move was probably encouraged by his cousin Henry Scott Tuke (1858-1929), who lived in Falmouth but often visited Newlyn and was well known within the artistic community that had grown up there in the 1880s. The circumstances of Rheam's move to Newlyn were told by Stanhope Forbes, the founder of the Newlyn School: 'The annual cricket match between the artists of St. Ives and Newlyn was one of the chief sporting events of the year, and about the time I speak of, St. Ives had acquired two notable batsmen and Newlyn seemed likely to endure defeat. But in a fortunate moment the situation was saved, for Harry Rheam, that notable cricketer, was imported at great expense from Polperro. He remained with us ever after and we had reason to remember gratefully the rivalry between the two colonies in the noble game' (C. Fox & F. Greenacre (eds.), Artists of the Newlyn School 1880-1900, Newlyn, 1979, p. 235).
Rheam appears in one of Fred Hall's caricatures of the Newlyn artists, made in 1890, and indeed looks more like a cricketer than an artist. In 1900 he married Alice Elliott and they lived at Boase Castle Lodge, Belle Vue. Later they moved to West Lodge in Penzance, remaining there until Rheam's death in 1920.
Rheam exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1887 to 1919, and was a regular contributor to the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours. His subject matter ranged from literary sources such as the present work, as well as Keats' La Belle Dame sans Merci, and Quia Multum Amavit, a theme that had intrigued Burne-Jones, to the fishing and coastal scenes typical of the Newlyn School.
Alongside Thomas Cooper Gotch (1854-1931), Rheam pursued a distinct path within the Newlyn School in exploring fantasy and symbolism in his work, as he does here - indeed, his literary works often incorporated fairies or goblins, as Snow White's seven dwarfs are presented here.
Snow White is a German fairy tale, first written down by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, in the first edition of Grimms' Fairy Tales, and translated to English in 1823.
Rheam appears in one of Fred Hall's caricatures of the Newlyn artists, made in 1890, and indeed looks more like a cricketer than an artist. In 1900 he married Alice Elliott and they lived at Boase Castle Lodge, Belle Vue. Later they moved to West Lodge in Penzance, remaining there until Rheam's death in 1920.
Rheam exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1887 to 1919, and was a regular contributor to the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours. His subject matter ranged from literary sources such as the present work, as well as Keats' La Belle Dame sans Merci, and Quia Multum Amavit, a theme that had intrigued Burne-Jones, to the fishing and coastal scenes typical of the Newlyn School.
Alongside Thomas Cooper Gotch (1854-1931), Rheam pursued a distinct path within the Newlyn School in exploring fantasy and symbolism in his work, as he does here - indeed, his literary works often incorporated fairies or goblins, as Snow White's seven dwarfs are presented here.
Snow White is a German fairy tale, first written down by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, in the first edition of Grimms' Fairy Tales, and translated to English in 1823.