Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are offering for sale this minutely detailed watercolour portrait by the renowned artist Carl Haag, who has signed the painting to the left hand side and dated it 1878. The painting was one of the paintings of relatives of the Morland family, who owned the stately home Court Lodge, in Lamberhurst, Kent and, in fact, can be seen behind the banisters on the stairs in one of the photographs on the Court Lodge Estate website. The Morland family have owned the house since 1730, but it is sadly being sold this year, along with its paintings and contents. We have been unable to ascertain the name of the sitter as the writing at the bottom of the painting is illegible.

However, the elderly lady who is the subject of the portrait, is obviously well to do, as she has several rings on her left hand and is holding either a watch or pendant on a long gold chain. She is wearing a very decorative pleated bonnet tied with a bow under her chin, with a long veil at the back, a la Queen Victoria, and is seated in an armchair with a lace antimacassar.

Carl Haag (20 April 1820 – 24 January 1915) was a Bavarian-born painter who became a naturalised British subject and was court painter to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Haag was born in Erlangen in the Kingdom of Bavaria, and was trained in the Academy of Fine Arts Nuremberg and at Munich. He initially practised as an illustrator and as a painter in oils of portraits and architectural subjects but in 1847 he settled in England, where he studied English watercolour techniques. After this he devoted himself to watercolours.

In 1850 was elected an associate of the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours before becoming a full member in 1853. He also enjoyed the patronage of Queen Victoria. He painted a watercolour of the royal family with their children and entourage ascending Lochnagar which was given by Prince Albert to Queen Victoria as a gift. Between 1858 and 1860, he travelled to the Middle East, at first staying for more than a year in Cairo where he shared a studio with artist, Frederick Goodall. Later he journeyed to Jerusalem, Lebanon and Syria before returning to Cairo. During this period, he made many sketches which he worked up into paintings after returning to London. He returned to Egypt in 1873-74 to gather inspiration for further Oriental paintings.

He was a prolific and important painter Holy Land scenes. He gained a considerable reputation for his firmly drawn and meticulously elaborated paintings of Eastern subjects. Some of his depictions of the Middle East are in the Israel Museum's collection.

He and his Hanoverian wife Ida, also a naturalised British subject, lived from at least 1871 to after 1901, according to Census Records at 7, Lyndhurst Road (now known as Studio House), Hampstead and brought up 3 sons and a daughter there, all born in London, with the help of several servants.

In 1903, he retired and towards the end of his life, Haag left England and returned to the newly united German Empire, where he died in Oberwesel.

There is much information about Carl (Karl) Haag on the net, including many examples of his work and his paintings, particularly his orientalist ones, can reach thousands of pounds.

The painting is framed in its original, rather interesting gilt frame, with a raised, ornate oval in the centre containing the portrait and its original glass. It will be supplied wired and ready to hang.

Image size: 10" x 8" - 25.4cm x 20.3cm

Frame size: 15" x 13" - 38.1cm x 33cm

Medium: Watercolours

Condition: Very good. The colours are bright and there is no foxing. The original frame and glass are in very good condition.