Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are offering this very accomplished watercolour by the artist John Steeple, who has signed the painting in the lower left hand corner and dated it 1874. The painting depicts a pastoral scene, with a herd of cows traversing a country track in a landscape of rolling hills. There is a pool to the lower left and some cows in a lowland pasture to the centre. As the artist drew his subjects mainly from Wales, the Midlands and Sussex, it is the location is in one of these three areas.

John Steeple was born in Worcester Street Birmingham on the 4th April, 1824 (often listed as 1823 due to counting back from his death date of 1887), but we have checked the register of his birth. His father Thomas, a cabinet maker, and his wife Sarah were Baptists.

In the 1851 Census, John was living at 23 Sherbon? Road, Kings Norton and he was listed as a Master Die Sinker, or engraver, with his wife Martha, nee Manley, his daughter Georgina Martha (1849-1930) and his son Charles John (born 1850, who emigrated to the USA in 1876). Also listed in the house were his mother and father, his mother-in-law, his nephew and a domestic servant.

In 1861 he was living in 87 Wellington Road Edgbaston, with his daugher, son and nephew. Both he and his wife were listed as landscape painters, but we cannot confirm this. There appears to be no listing in the 1871 Census for any of the family, but his wife Martha died in 1872.

In the 1881 Census, John was living in a very nice 4 storey house at 18 Leighton Crescent, Saint Pancras in London with his new wife Susannah, aged 25 and 3 young daughters. He sadly died in 1887.

He painted primarily in watercolours, although a few oils exist. His subjects were mainly landscapes and coastal scenes. He exhibited in Birmingham from 1846 and in London from 1852 at the RA, SS, NWS and elsewhere. He was elected a Member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists in 1862. Examples may be found in the V & A, Birmingham City AG and Manchester AG. According to ArtUK.org, there are examples at Bury Art Museum and Rotherham Heritage Services which may be viewed on their site. His biographical details may be found in The Dictionary of Victorian Painters by Christopher Wood and The Dictionary of British Watercolour Artists by Mallalieu.

Interestingly, his daughter Georgina Martha moved to Paris, studied under Corot and Gerome and in 1874 married the French artist Constant Auguste de l'Aubiniere (1842-1925). They travelled to the USA and toured lecturing and painting, then moved from California to British Columbia, later returning to England. Georgina and Constant were commissioned to paint a series of paintings for Queen Victoria. Georgina died in Cornwall in 1930.

Tha painting has been newly double mounted in two-tone acid-free mountboard and newly framed in a 1 1/8" bronzed gilt frame to suit. It will be supplied wired and ready to hang.

Image size: 13 1/4" x 8 5/8" - 33.65cm x 21.9cm

Frame size: 21" x 16 1/2" - 53.3cm x 41.9cm

Medium: Watercolours on card

Condition: Very good. There is no foxing or fading and the colours are bright. The mounts and frame are new.