Sir Alfred James Munnings, P.R.A., R.W.S. (British, 1878-1959)
Property from a Private Collection
Sir Alfred James Munnings, P.R.A., R.W.S. (British, 1878-1959)

The Norwich Fair

Details
Sir Alfred James Munnings, P.R.A., R.W.S. (British, 1878-1959)
The Norwich Fair
signed and dated 'A. J. Munnings/1907' (lower right)
watercolor and gouache over traces of pencil on paper on board
13 ¾ x 16 7/8 in. (34.9 x 42.9 cm.)
Provenance
with Scott and Fowles, New York, circa 1955.
with Wildenstein & Co., New York.
Sale room notice
Please note that the medium for this lot is watercolor and gouache over traces of pencil on paper on board.

Lot Essay

Munnings studied watercolor painting for six years under Gertrude Offord, a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy at the turn of the century. Munnings himself began to exhibit at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours from 1899-1916 and later at the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours from 1921-1937. Appreciating the portability and spontaneity of the medium, Munnings often took watercolors with him in his caravan while he travelled the English countryside searching for subjects to paint en plein air. Here, the artist has taken as his subject one of the East Anglian Saturday horse fairs which he often frequented, both as a buyer and also to observe the people, sights and sounds of the fair which he found so captivating. The rich color and fluidity of watercolor provided the perfect medium with which to capture this kind of subject, as it enabled Munnings to quickly and vividly recreate both the atmosphere and the vibrant colors of the fair. When they were exhibited, Munnings’ watercolors of the same period as The Norwich Fair were well-received by contemporary critics who commented on his 'frankness, the spontaneity of his touch, the originality of his colour scheme' (Eastern Daily Press, March 31, 1916).

We are grateful to Lorian Peralta-Ramos for confirming the authenticity of this work, which will be included in her forthcoming Sir Alfred Munnings catalogue raisonné.

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