Studio RT Ltd

Description

This a pretty watercolour of sheep in an orchard by the landscape artist and poet Joseph Lawrence Hart, who has signed the painting in the lower left hand corner and entitled and signed it verso 'The skirts of the orchard. The uncertain glory of an April day'. The sky bears that slightly stormy look that happens sometimes when an April shower is looming and all the sheep appear to be laying down. The young apple tree to the left has been protected by a ring of stakes and there is a scattering of primroses in the foreground and birds in the sky.

J. Lawrence Hart was born in 1850 in Harborne, Birmingham, the son of a clerk at a cement company. We have checked this date because he is often listed as being born in 1830, but that is incorrect. In 1871, he was listed as a draughtsman and was living with his parents in Handsworth, Birmingham. On 5th July 1876, he married Susannah nee Harris, born 1851, and by the Census of 1881, he was living at 3 Mill Street, Leamington Priors with his wife and two daughters, Florence and Blanche, a servant, and was listed as an artist landscape painter.

By 1891, they were living at The Laurels, Top Street, Birdingbury, Rugby with two more daughters, Susie and Agnes, and two young sone, Joseph L. E., born 1887 and Claude Leighton, born 1890, his mother-in-law and a servant.

In 1901, they had moved to The Hollies, Poplar Avenue, Birmingham and Susannah was the Principal of a High School. Florence was a Music Teacher and Susie was a Teacher. They also had five boarders and a servant, so it must have been quite a substantial house.

Sadly tragedy struck and J. Lawrence Hart died in 1907 in Nefyn near Pwllheli, where he is buried. In 1912, a 171 book entitled Poems by J. L. Hart was published by the Rugby Press with a biographical forward. We found the details in a newspaper article of that year, where it mentioned that it was hoped that the sale of the book would allow his widow and daughter to travel to British Columbia to be with her two sons who had left three years earlier. On checking migration and travel, we discovered that Claude Leighton Hart left the UK in 1908 for Canada, and that Susannan and Blanche also followed in 1912, so the book of poems must have raised enough money for the fares. Unfortunately we have been unable to discover a copy of the book available to purchase, as the forward might have provided more biographical information.

J. L Hart exhibited between 1182 and 1906 at Agnews Gallery, Manchester City Art Gallery, The Walker AG in Liverpool, The Royal Society of Artists in Birmingham (26 works), The RBA and the RI. He painted in both oils and watercolours.

The watercolour has been newly double mounted in two-tone acid-free mountboard to complement and is framed in a very nice 1 5/8 inch reeded gilt frame. It will be supplied with new brass hangers, new brass picture wire and will be ready to hang.

Image size: 9 5/8 x 6 5/8 inches - 24.45cm x 16.7cm

Frame size: 17 1/2 x 15 inches - 44.45cm x 38cm

Medium: Watercolour on paper

ConditionL Very good. There is no foxing and the colours are bright. The mounts are new and the frame is in very good condition.