Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are offering for sale this expertly painted. large landscape oil by the artist Charles Leslie, one of the renowned Williams family of painters, who has signed the painting in the lower left corner Chas. Leslie and dated it 1885. The painting depicts a small loch or lake surrounded by the foothills of higher mountains further in the distance. It is daytime and there are a mass of clouds around the tops of the mountains. On the left bank, just behind a large clump of reeds, is an angler, with his rod out and a pack on his back. Over on the opposite bank, there is a plume of smoke rising from a bonfire. The painting bears the characteristic reeds or grasses overhanging the water, which are to be found on all his paintings of lochs or lakes.

Charles Edward John Leslie was born in Islington, London on the 27th November, 1839, the son of Emily Ann Williams, the only daughter of Edward 'Old' Williams, 1781-1853, the patriarch of the William Family of Painters, of which Charles was a young member. Emily was married to or was the partner of a mystery man by the name of Charles Leslie, Gentleman, about whom little is known, other than that he was connected to the Rothes family, as their daughter was given Rothes as a second name. In 1856 and 57, the young Charles was living with his Uncle George Augustus Williams at 32 Castelnau Villas, Barnes, from whom he was gaining further instruction in painting, as well as by his other uncles, the six sons of Old Williams including Arthur Gilbert (Williams) Sidney Richard Percy (Williams)and Edward Williams Jr. In view of this, he can also be called a Member of the Barnes School.

There is a book available by Jan Reynolds entitled The Williams Family of Painters and an entry on wikipedia for Charles Leslie, as well as an online site giving biographical details and dates for the whole Williams Family.

From 1856-1862, Charles exhibited at the Royal Academy (5 works), the British Institution (3) and Suffolk Street (16), as well as elsewhere in London Exhibitions.

By 1871, he was listed in the census as a Landscape painter, aged 31 and living with his wife? Esther born 1849 and living at 54 Camden Road London. In 1881, again listed as a Landscape Painter and aged 41, he was living at 6 Wemyss Road, Lewisham in South London. He sadly died on 9th September 1886 of liver disease at Mitcham Road, Tooting.

For an artist who died so relatively young, he was an extremely prolific painter and has over 400 auction records on artprice.com. There are 11 of his paintings in the National Collection, which can be viewed at artUK.org. He should not be confused with the artist Charles Robert Leslie RA.

The painting is framed in an ornate, swept, pierced gilt frame and will be supplied wired and ready to hang.

Image size: 31" x 17" - 78.75cm x 43.15cm

Frame size: 36 7/8" x 22 3/4" - 93.6cm x 57.75cm

Medium: Oils on relined canvas

Condition: Very good. The canvas has been relined in the past and is now in good, clean, and taut conditon. The frame is also in very good conditon.