Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are very pleased to offer for sale this lovely and finely executed watercolour by the artist WILLIAM CASLEY, who has signed the painting in the lower right hand corner. The painting depicts a view of a Cornish cove near the Lizard, with the clouds reflected in the standing water left on the beach by the receding tide.

WILLIAM CASLEY, was born in Mullion, Cornwall in 1853. In 1901, he was living at 7 Beacon Terrace, The Lizard, Cornwall,BUT BY 1918 he was living in his new house, Pentreath, The Lizard with his wife Harriet, his son William Leonard (1893-1985) and his daughter Violet Dean Casley (1894-1918).

There is now rather a sad story, as William died in the 2nd quarter of 1918, closely followed by his daughter Violet in the 4th quarter of the same year and his widow Harriet on 2nd November 1918. As this was the year of the Spanish Flu pandemic that killed millions, it is possible that this was the cause. William died in Cornwall, but Violet and Harriet died in Kensington, so it is possible that Violet was attending art school in Kensington and Harriet had moved to London to chaperone her.

William's son William Leonard, who signed his work Leonard to avoid confusion with his father, had signed up for the Royal Flying Corps, which became the RAF in 1915, so may have avoided the Flu. After he was discharged in 1919, he married his wife Vera and was living at the family home, Pentreath, The Lizard, Cornwall. He exhibited in the 20s and 30s and was still living at Pentreath in 1939. He died in Cornwall in 1985 at the age of 92.

WILLIAM CASLEY exhibited three paintings at the Royal Institute for Painters in Watercolour and three paintings at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. His biographical details are available in The Dictionary of British Artists and The Dictionary of British Artists by Grant M. Waters.

Auction results for works by this artist can be found at artprice.com (152 listings), findartinfo.com (57), arcadja.com (45), and artnet.com (8). A 36" x 19" watercolour of the Cornish coast by this artist achieved £1,200 at David Lay in 2006.

The painting has been expensively mounted with washlines and gilt insert to the mount to complement and is framed in a 1/2" gilt frame. It will be supplied wired and ready to hang.

Image size: 10" x 7" - 25.45cm x 17.75cm

Frame size: 16 1.2" x 14 1/4" - 42.55cm x 36.15cm

Medium: Watercolours

Condition: Excellent condition with no foxing The mounts and frame are in excellent condition.