Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935)
VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus bu… Read more ARCHIBALD THORBURN (1860-1935) Lots 73-81 Archibald Thorburn was born at Viewfield House, Lasswade near Edinburgh, the fifth son of Robert Thorburn, a miniaturist who numbered Queen Victoria amongst his patrons. From an early age he sketched flora and fauna from nature, the practise which was to form the basis for his art, as Thorburn was one of the first British Wildlife artists to go into the field to observe his specimens in their natural habitat and sketch them from life. His career as a painter of birds began in 1883 when he completed 144 plates for W.F. Swaysland's Familiar Wild Birds, but his reputation was secured through his contribution to Lord Lilford's magisterial survey Coloured Figures of the Birds of the British Islands, 1885-1898. Thorburn moved to London in 1885 and after his marriage to Constance Mudie in 1902, he moved to High Leybourne, near Hascombe, Surrey. There he established an undisturbed routine of sketching on his morning walk and working up these sketches into finished compositions in his studio. Although he occasionally worked in oil he found watercolour the most expressive medium with which to capture his subjects' likeness.
Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935)

A covey of partridge in the stubble, with lapwings flying overhead

Details
Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935)
A covey of partridge in the stubble, with lapwings flying overhead
signed and dated 'Archibald Thorburn/1902' (lower left)
pencil and watercolour, with gum arabic, heightened with bodycolour
17½ x 30¼ in. (44.5 x 76.7 cm.)
Provenance
with Elizabeth Gordon Gallery, Durban, South Africa.
Special notice
VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium. Notice to Buyers Resident in Scotland Payment and collections may be made immediately following the end of the sale until 7.00pm. Collections may be made on Friday, 27 October 2000 from 9.00 am until 1.00 pm, after which all lots purchased by Scottish residents will be transported free of charge to either our Glasgow office, tel 44(0)141 332 8134 or to our Edinburgh office, tel 44(0)131 225 4756 where they will be available from 9.00 am on Monday, 30 October. Notice to Buyers outside Scotland Purchases made by buyers with addresses outside Scotland will be transferred to Christie's, 8 King Street, London SW1, for collection from noon on Monday, 30 October 2000. Purchases are only insured for a period of seven working days following the sale.

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