Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are pleased to offer for sale this beautifully and cleverly executed Still Life Oil Painting on Canvas by the artist George J. Bailey, who has signed the painting Bailey to the bottom right hand corner. The painting depicts a pile of old books, the majority leather bound, in various states of disrepair upon a chipped shelf or table. There is a pair of red leather bellows hanging on the wall and a candlestick with snuffer and a lit candle to the left. Upon the books is a wick trimmer.

According to the short biography on the reverse of the frame, George J.Bailey studied art at Richmond College of Art in Surrey. He lived and worked in Paris and The Netherlands. He exhibited at the Royal Academy, London and at other London Galleries and had a 1 man exhibition at Segal's Gallery in Los Angeles. However, artists and their agents are renowned for exaggeration and invention of biographies, so we cannot verify this.

We did find on a genealogy site a possible George James Bailey, who was born on 28th March, 1909 in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey. He was listed in the 1921 Census, aged 12 and, in the 1939 Register, was listed, married to Gertrude, with his occupation given as 'Scenic and Government Camouflage artist'. He died on the 23rd September, 1995 In Brighton. As many of his paintings seem to turn up in the South East of England, this would make sense, but again we cannot prove that this is the artist of this painting.

All we can add to this, is that there are 7 of his paintings listed on arcadja.com and some examples on google images. All of these paintings are still life in subject matter.

The painting is framed in a very attractive pierced, swept gilt frame. It will be supplied with new brass hangers, new brass picture wire and will be ready to hang..

Image size: 23 3/8 x 19 3/8 inches - 59.4cm x 49.25cm

Frame size: 30 X 26 inches - 76.2cm x 66cm

Medium: Oils on canvas

Condition: Very good. There are no repairs,craquelure or stretcher marks. The frame is in very good condition.