Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are pleased to offer for sale this lovely evocative watercolour/gouache by the artist DOUGLAS HOUZEN PINDER, who has signed the painting in the lower right hand corner with his pseudonym Ben Graham and entitled it 'The Headlands Newquay' in the lower left. The painting depicts one of the rocky bays to the south of Newquay, with the wonderful Headland Hotel, which is still in existence, silhouetted against the sky on the top of the far headland.

To quote from Jeremy Wood's book 'Hidden Talents a Dictionary of Neglected Artists working 1880-1950 and including some later facts from our own research:

Douglas Houzen Pinder was a painter in watercolour, and sometimes oil, of coastal views, moorland landscapes and desert scenes who was born in Starkholmes, Matlock, Derbyshire on 11th October, 1886. His mother was a school teacher in Newquay and in the early 1900s Douglas Pinder was articled to a local architect but later turned to painting full time. After the First World War, in which he was a conscientious objector, he was sponsored to visit Egypt where he painted a number of desert scene during his stay in Port Said. Douglas Pinder lived for many years at Rose Villa, Horrabridge, Devon, and from about 1940 at 80 Fore Street and later 79 Mount Wise, Newquay, Cornwall.

While living at Horrabridge he painted some moorland scenes and these are usually signed 'Ben Graham'. He is also believed to have used the pseudonym 'A. P. Shepherd'. His work is frequently seen on the market, particularly the watercolours of the Newquay area. He was married to his wife Edith for 41 years, but after her death in early 1949, he remarried Gladys Selina Richards, just weeks before his own death on 14th November, 1949. According to the Probate Registry, he left some £1739, which would have been quite a considerable sum at that time.

He did not exhibit regularly but he did have a view of Polperro shown at the Plymouth Art Society in 1950 after his death. His early work is signed D.H. Pinder and the later works Douglas (H) Pinder in a printed script.

There are 201 auction results listed for D. H. Pinder on artprice.com, 52 on findartinfo.com and he is also listed on artnet.com and in Hislop's Guide to the UK Art Market where a painting of his achieved £280 in 2003.

The painting is mounted with washlines to complement and is framed in a reeded 1 1/8" gilt frame to suit. It is ready to hang.

Image size: 19 3/4" x 13 1/2" - 50.15cm x 34.25cm

Frame size: 25 7/8" x 19 7/8" - 65.75cm x 50.5cm

Mediuim: Watercolour

Condition: Very good. Colours bright with no foxing. The frame is in very good condition.