Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are pleased to offer this lovely mid 19th Century Victorian watercolour by the artist Mary Anne Sharpe, who has signed the painting M. A. Sharpe in the lower right hand corner. The painting depicts a group of three figures in an italianate balcony setting. The lady is playing a Spanish lute, which has a flat back, the gentleman may be about to sing, and the young boy holding the music appears to be from North Africa. It could well be a family couple with their servant. The lady is dressed in an elaborate gown, with her hair behind a band, with a strand brought forward in front of her ears and then drawn back into a plaited coil at the back, very much in the style of the 1840s. The gentleman is wearing a large flat hat, with three extravagant feathers and a matching cloak. He has his arm around the lady.

Mary Anne Sharpe was born in Birmingham, in 1802, the youngest of the four daughters of William Sharpe, an engraver. The family moved to London in 1816. All four daughters were taught engraving, but all four turned to watercolour painting, initially miniatures, but later to larger works. Louisa and Eliza were elected Lady Members of the Old Watercolour Society and Mary Anne was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Society of British Artists. They all exhibited in London, but Mary Anne exhibited 23 works ( portraits and genre) at the Royal Academy and 27 at Suffolk Street. According to Graves Dictionary, Mary Anne's first and last year of exhibition were 1819 and 1879. The 1879 last year of exhibition makes rather a nonsense of the death date of 1867, which seems to frequently appear for her, but having scanned the death registrations, we can confirm neither date, although as Algernon Graves edited his Dictionary in 1884, I think it more likely that that is correct.

She is listed in The Dictionary of British Watercolour Artists by H. L. Mallalieu, The Dictionary of Victorian Painters by Christopher Wood and Benezit (1999) Volume 12.

The painting is framed in its rather lovely openwork original gilt frame under original glass and the pine chamferred backing board bears the mark of J & W Vokins, Carvers and Gilders to the Royal Family, 5 John St. Oxford St (1828-1858) 3 Gt. Castle Street (1849-1866), which leads us to assume that the date of this watercolour is circa 1849-1858. J. & W. Vokins were also fine art dealers who specialised in watercolours, so they could have handled the sale of the watercolour as well as providing the frame. The frame has a rope edge around the outside and a cartouche of flowers and fruit in each of the corners.

Image size: 11 5/8" x 9 3/8" - 29.5cm x 23.8cm

Frame size: 18" x 16" Max. - 45.7cm x 40.65cm

Medium: Watercolours

Condition: Very good. There is no foxing or fading and the colours are strong and true. The frame is in very good