Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are offering this lovely oil painting by the very well regarded Victorian artist Samuel John Barnes, who has signed the painting S. J. Barnes in the lower left hand corner and dated it 91, for 1891. On the stretcher on the back of the painting is the title, cut from the previous slip and applied here, which reads 'Lochnagar from Craig Cluny S. J. Barnes 91'. The artist has managed to convey the distance and the depth of the valley in a masterful way.

Craig Cluny is a precipitous granite height in Craithie Parish, Aberdeenshire which is covered in rowan, weeping birch and lofty pines, according to the National Library of Scotland's Gazetteer of Scotland 1803-1901.

You will know that Craithie Parish is very near to Balmoral, on Deeside, which was a favourite subject for this artist and he was patronised by both Queen Victoria, the then Princess Alexandra and the Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg. (There is a newspaper cutting to this effect pasted to the bottom of the canvas verso). We know of two paintings in the Royal Collection, one of Fraser's Bridge, Glen Cluny, also painted in 1891 which was purchased by Queen Victoria and one of The Callater Burn. There are also four paintings by Samuel Barnes in the National Collection, which may be viewed at BBC - Your Paintings.

Samuel John Barnes 1847-1901, was born in Birmingham, studied at Birmingham School of Art and later in London. In 1876 he married his wife Louisa (nee Smith), who was also an artist (exhibited 1882-1928) and in the 1881 and 1891 Census they were living at Mayfield, Stoney Lane, Yardley, which is now part of Birmingham. He had one son, Colin Faed Barnes (1886-1963). He died in Marylebone, London on 16th November 1901, at the early age of 54.

He exhibited 1882-1897 including 2 paintings at the Royal Academy 1884, 5 at the Royal Scottish Academy, 10 at the Royal Society of Artists, Birmingham, 2 at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, 2 at the Manchester City Art Gallery and 3 at the Royal Hibernian Academy.

He is listed in the Dictionary of British Artists (Collectors' Club), and the Dictionary of Victorian Painters by Christopher Wood.

The painting is framed in a 3" ornate bronzed gilt swept frame and will be supplied wired and ready to hang.

Image size: 29 1/4" x 19 1/4" - 74.25cm x 48.8cm

Frame size: 36" x 25 3/4" - 92.4cm x 65.4cm

Medium: Oils on canvas

Condition: Very good. The painting has obviously undergone a professional restoration in the past, as the canvas is clean and taut and has four repairs to the reverse, as shown. It is now in visually very good condition. The replacement frame has some cracking, consistent with age.