Lot Essay
This simple, idyllic narrative in Well Done! displays the best features of Elsley's paintings. The title encapsulates the merriment of children, animals and a timeless atmosphere which are the quintessential elements of his work. Referring to another work in this series, Golden Hours (1903) but also relevant to the present painting, a contemporary noted 'Mr. Elsley is a master of these bright scenes of childhood. He knows all the ingredients that compose the children's paradise; a pony and a dog, a lovely garden and romping spirits untouched by any shade of care' (Bibby's Quarterly Summer 1908).
Well Done! stands as one of the most popular of Elsley's works due to the huge quantity of sepia photogravure prints of it which were produced for the English company Bovril. Coupons from the bottles, tins and jars of the beef extract were exchanged for high-quality prints. Bovril licensed the reproduction of thirty-nine paintings between 1901 and 1914 from the leading print publisher C.W. Faulkner. Twelve of these were after works by Elsley, including the present work, and six were after Fred Morgan's paintings.
The painting features Elsley's only child Marjorie on the right holding the dog's leash (fig. 1). She was aged four and is seen with her governess, Miss Gomersall, posed here as the mother. The eldest girl appears to be one of Elsley's favorite models nick-named 'Queenie'. The pony was painted at Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire and Elsley arranged with the people to whom it belonged to get a child to sit on it so that he might paint the pony and child together. He also took several photographs of the scene which he later used in the studio (fig. 2). Well Done! was one of a series of four paintings featuring this white pony. The others were Golden Hours (1903) (fig. 3), A Tempting Bait (1906, Russell Coates Museum) and The First Love Letter (1908). Elsley's favorite dog was a collie named 'Scamp' who also featured in many other of his works (fig. 4).
Elsley was a keen photographer and showed sepia photographs of his works to potential publishers before they were completed. Charles Faulkner, who purchased the copyright for the present work, often suggested changes to the paintings he published and Elsley made several alterations to the present work including the shape of the handkerchief and the fact that the girl on the right is holding the dog's leash. Such was the importance of his publishers to his livelihood and reputation that he was keen to incorporate these ideas.
Born in 1860, the son of a coachman, Elsley joined the South Kensington School of Art at the age of fourteen. In 1876 he became a probationer at the Royal Academy Schools, and submitted his first exhibit to the Royal Academy in 1878. By 1887 he was sharing a studio at 151 Gloucester Road, Kensington, with George Greville Manton, who later introduced Elsley to Fred Morgan. Elsley was to paint the animals in Morgan's pictures in succession to Allen Sealey, and following the death of Charles Burton Barber in 1894, was considered the foremost painter of animals and children in the country. In 1900, following an estrangement with Morgan who accused him of stealing ideas for pictures, Elsley started to execute works on a grander scale. He continued to exhibit at the Royal Academy until 1917.
We are grateful to Terry Parker for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.
(fig. 1) Source photograph for Marjorie, Courtesy Terry Parker.
(fig. 2) Source photograph for Well Done!, Courtesy Terry Parker.
(fig. 3) Arthur John Elsley, Golden Hours, 1903, Private Collection.
(fig. 4) Source photograph for Scamp, Courtesy Terry Parker.
Well Done! stands as one of the most popular of Elsley's works due to the huge quantity of sepia photogravure prints of it which were produced for the English company Bovril. Coupons from the bottles, tins and jars of the beef extract were exchanged for high-quality prints. Bovril licensed the reproduction of thirty-nine paintings between 1901 and 1914 from the leading print publisher C.W. Faulkner. Twelve of these were after works by Elsley, including the present work, and six were after Fred Morgan's paintings.
The painting features Elsley's only child Marjorie on the right holding the dog's leash (fig. 1). She was aged four and is seen with her governess, Miss Gomersall, posed here as the mother. The eldest girl appears to be one of Elsley's favorite models nick-named 'Queenie'. The pony was painted at Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire and Elsley arranged with the people to whom it belonged to get a child to sit on it so that he might paint the pony and child together. He also took several photographs of the scene which he later used in the studio (fig. 2). Well Done! was one of a series of four paintings featuring this white pony. The others were Golden Hours (1903) (fig. 3), A Tempting Bait (1906, Russell Coates Museum) and The First Love Letter (1908). Elsley's favorite dog was a collie named 'Scamp' who also featured in many other of his works (fig. 4).
Elsley was a keen photographer and showed sepia photographs of his works to potential publishers before they were completed. Charles Faulkner, who purchased the copyright for the present work, often suggested changes to the paintings he published and Elsley made several alterations to the present work including the shape of the handkerchief and the fact that the girl on the right is holding the dog's leash. Such was the importance of his publishers to his livelihood and reputation that he was keen to incorporate these ideas.
Born in 1860, the son of a coachman, Elsley joined the South Kensington School of Art at the age of fourteen. In 1876 he became a probationer at the Royal Academy Schools, and submitted his first exhibit to the Royal Academy in 1878. By 1887 he was sharing a studio at 151 Gloucester Road, Kensington, with George Greville Manton, who later introduced Elsley to Fred Morgan. Elsley was to paint the animals in Morgan's pictures in succession to Allen Sealey, and following the death of Charles Burton Barber in 1894, was considered the foremost painter of animals and children in the country. In 1900, following an estrangement with Morgan who accused him of stealing ideas for pictures, Elsley started to execute works on a grander scale. He continued to exhibit at the Royal Academy until 1917.
We are grateful to Terry Parker for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.
(fig. 1) Source photograph for Marjorie, Courtesy Terry Parker.
(fig. 2) Source photograph for Well Done!, Courtesy Terry Parker.
(fig. 3) Arthur John Elsley, Golden Hours, 1903, Private Collection.
(fig. 4) Source photograph for Scamp, Courtesy Terry Parker.