Studio RT Ltd

Description

This is a wonderful, large oil painting on canvas by the renowned Northumberland artist George Blackie Sticks, who has signed the painting in the lower right hand corner, dated it 1900 and inscribed and dated it verso ' Invergarry Castle Scotland Evening'. It is a sunset scene, with a man, possibly fishing from a small boat near to a bridge to the right, and a sailing boat returning to the shore to the left. There is a figure on the rocks below the castle tending a fire and the ruins of Invergarry Castle are silhouetted against the setting sun.

Loch Oich is a freshwater loch in the Highlands of Scotland which forms part of the Caledonian Canal, of which it is the highest point. This narrow loch lies between Loch Ness and Loch Lochy in the Great Glen. It is fed by the River Garry from the West, and feeds the River Oich from its North end.

George Blackie Sticks 1843-c. 1900, was the most famous of the Sticks family of artists, which include his father James Sticks, 1813-?, his brother William Sticks, his brother Andrew James Sticks, his brother Henry Sticks 1845-1878, his nephews Harry Sticks 1867-1938 and William Sticks Jr., and his own sons George Edwin Sticks 1864-1903 and Christian J. Sticks 1872-1912. We do not know the exact year of George Blackie's death, as it was not registered, but had found no painting dated after 1898, until this one, and we know that he was in poor health towards the end of his life, which restricted his paintings to relatively local views. Sadly it would appear that both of his sons died aged about 40.

George Blackie Sticks was born in Newcastle, where he lived throughout his life, and trained as a stained glass designer in the factory of William Wailes, where other members of the family also worked. He studied painting under William Bell Scott at the Government School of Art in Newcastle before becoming a full time artist. He painted in oils, scenes of the North East, then Scotland and the Lake District and painted many scenes including castles.

He exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Royal Scottish Academy as well as in the provinces.

There are 13 of his paintings in the National Collection, which can be viewed at artuk.org and is represented at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle, the Shipley AG in Gateshead, the Mercer AG in Harrogate, Mansion House in Newcastle, South Shields Museum and AG, Victoria AG, the Hatton Gallery and North Tyneside Council.

The painting is newly framed in a 3 1/2" ornate, swept gilt frame. The painting will be supplied wired and ready to hang.

Image size: 29 3/8" x 19 3/8" - 74.65cmcm x 49.2cm (30" x 20" canvas size)

Frame size: 36 1/4" x 26 3/8" - 92.1cm x 67cm

Medium: Oils on Reeves canvas

Condition: Very good. The canvas is clean and taut and there is no craquelure, stretcher marks or paint loss. The frame is new.