Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are pleased to offer this charming watercolour by the artist Florence Reason, who has signed the painting in the lower right hand corner. The painting evokes the idea of Spring, although, from the way the young girl is dressed, it is probably still winter, but the daffodils are in bloom and she is holding out a tiny bunch of snowdrops. This pretty little girl has a mop of golden curls under her white hat, which matches her white coat with fur collar and buttoned leggings, and she has bright blue eyes. She is standing in front of a garden wall,with a curved flower bed to her right with a variegated laurel bush bearing red berries behind her

Miss Florence Reason, was born in Clerkenwell in London in 1859, the daughter of an engraver in precious metals, who employed two men. In the 1861 Census the family, with many extended relatives were living at 23 Wilmington Square WC!.

Florence attended the Female Art School, Queen Square from 1875 to about 1882, winning National Medals, both Gold and Silver almost every year, as well as various scholarships, including The Gilchrist Scholarship for 2 years, worth £50 a year and the Queen's Scholarship several times. Her successes at art school are very well documented in the national press of the time.

By 1891 she was living in Bloomsbury, sharing a flat with another female artist Mary E. Harding from Exeter, who was her painting companion later in Devon. Her occupation was listed as Artist, Painter and Teacher of Drawing. We know from the press that at this time, she was on the staff of the French Art School in Bloomsbury. In 1901, she was living with her sister Kathleen, who was a Governess, at 139 Alexandra Road, Hampstead. In 1911, she was visiting a friend in Exeter, a city to which she was shortly to move, to share studio with Mary Harding in Higher Summerlands. She died in Exeter in 1933.

She was a flower and figure painter in oils and watercolour and a prolific illustrator of magazines as well as books, including 'In Spite of Fate' by Silas K. Hocking. She is listed in The Dictionary of British Artists (Collectors Club), The Dictionary of Victorian Painters by Christopher Wood and The Dictionary of British Watercolour Artists by Mallalieu.

She exhibited at Eland's Art Gallery in Exeter locally, but exhibited from 1881-1914 17 paintings at the Royal Academy, 7 at the Society of Women Artists, 7 at the Walker in Liverpool, 3 at Manchester City AG, 1 in Birmingham and 3 at the Royal Institute.

The painting is mounted in two-tone mountboard with gold line and is framed in a 1 3/4" gilt frame. It will be supplied wired and ready to hang.

Image size: 12" x 8 5/8" - 30.5cm x 21.9cm

Frame size: 19 3/4" x 16 3/8" - 50.15cm x 41.7cm

Medium: Watercolours on paper

Condition: Very good. There is no foxing and the colours are bright and true. The mount and frame are in very good condition.