Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are offering for sale this excellent portrait oil on canvas by the artist Arthur Langley (or Longley) Vernon, who has signed the painting A. L. Vernon in the lower left hand corner. The painting depicts a half length portrait of Demetrius James Sandford Bailey BA, wearing his navy blue uniform with frogging and sash, while in the service of the second Rajah of Sarawak Sir Charles Anthony Johnson Brooke.

Please note that there is a slight pale mark on the left cheek, which is not a defect, but a speck of dust on the canvas during the photography.

Demetrius J. S. Bailey BA, was born in Tunbridge Wells on 31st May 1860. He was educated at Tonbridge School and at Jesus College Cambridge, where he was awarded his BA in 1883. Five years later he joined the service of Rajah Brooke and served in Sarawak until 1908. His name is on the Residents' Roll of Honour of Sri Aman, Sarawak, now part of Malaysia. He returned to England in 1908, possibly for health reasons and died on 9th March 1909 at Ightham Court, Ightham, Kent at the home of his brother.

Some of this information is written in pencil on the back of the piece of cardboard which has been protecting the back of the canvas and there is also a faded newspaper cutting which we have photographed, giving details of the memorial plaque in St. Peter's Church in Ightham, which was erected by the Rajah and his fellow officers.

Arthur Langley (Longley) Vernon was a genre painter predominately in oils, who was born in Orleans, France in 1850. He exhibited at London Galleries from 1871 and his exhibition records up until 1893 is given in Graves Dictionary (which ceased at this date) show a total of 75 works. Other reference books state that he exhibited at The Royal Academy from 1873-1897, and at Suffolk Street, as well as widely in the provinces and Scotland. He lived in London and in the 1881 Census was recorded as living at 20 Belgrave Road, St. Marylebone and in 1901 in Hendon. He was apparently recorded as living in St. John's Wood in 1922 and, we believe, that he died in Wycombe in Buckinghamshire in 1926.

There is one his paintings in the National Collection which can be viewed at Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery.

There are auction records for his work available at the usual sites, with 42 entries at artprice. The record price for one of his oils in recent years is £10,985.

His biographical details are listed in The Dictionary of Victorian Painters by Christopher Wood, The Dictionary of British Artists (Collectors' club) and the Dictionary of British Artists by Grant M. Waters.

The painting is framed in its original 2 3/4" gilt frame and slip and will be supplied wired and ready to hang.

Medium Oils on canvas