1. Jan Hermanus Koekkoek (Dutch 1778-1851), ‘Boats in a Calm on The Scheldt’

Lot 27 is a small panel, painted with incredible skill by Dutch artist, Jan Hermanus Koekkoek. Building on the visual heritage of landscapes by the Dutch masters such as Ruisdael and van Goyen, Koekkoek paints a fishing boat in a calm sea, which mirrors the sky to the point where sea and sky seem to be one whole entity. Such stillness is then bathed by sunlight which scatters across the water. This is a particularly interesting work from the latter part of Koekkoek’s career in 1845. It is certainly a great opportunity to purchase such a charming work by Jan Hermanus Koekkoek at auction.

2. Edmund Gill (British 1820-1894), ‘Waterfall on the Upper Reaches Of The Clyde’

Edmund Gill was a British landscape painter who studied at the Royal Academy. The painting, Waterfall on the Upper Reaches of the Clyde (Lot 25), captures the calmness of a desolate nature scene, and although the board is small, it gives a strong sense of open space, which is usually rendered only in bigger pictures. Such ability to capture the spaciousness in a small size painting, makes it a jewel like window on a wild and distant landscape.

3. Frederick Golden Short (British 1863-1936), ‘The New Forest’

Find yourself searching through the wilderness for the wild horses of the New Forest with Frederick Golden Short’s beautiful landscape (Lot 85). The artist has perfectly captured the sprawling trees standing tall in the vast, flat landscape highlighting the ancient woodland. The rich purple and brown hues of the heathland guide the viewer’s eye through the pasture to meet the distinctive horses grazing in open land. The fast flowing brushstrokes perfectly capture the wind and other elements affecting the landscape, making the viewer truly feel as if they were stood alongside the artist. Frederick Golden Short was born in Lyndhurst in the New Forest making this a favourite subject matter for the artist.

4. Lionel Bulmer (British 1919-1992), ‘Countryside Walk’

Lot 139 is a sun-filled countryside landscape by Lionel Bulmer. This work shows three figures ambling along the path beside a field. The pink and blue of their clothing stand out in contrast to the golden yellow of the shimmering crops. The work is filled with a sense of joy for summer days, and support critic Ian Collins’ comments about Bulmer who stated ‘the season appears to be one of permanent summer, and leisure is always in the air.’ Lionel Bulmer was married to Maragret Green and the couple moved to West Suffolk in 1950s.

5. Fleur Cowles (American 1908-2009), ‘Wild Flowers’

The beauty and strength of nature takes over in Fleur Cowles' Wild Flowers composition with strawberries (Lot 162). It feels as if the viewer is stepping into a scene from Alice in Wonderland in this whimsical and colourful work in tempera, dated 1963. The small ladybird resting on the leaf at the centre of the right edge is particularly thought through. Cowles was a renowned writer, journalist and editor. She was known for being the creative force behind Flair magazine in the 1950s. Cowles married Mike Cowles who owned American magazine Look. Shortly afterwards they set up Flair. The magazine featured illustrations by some of the most well-known artists of today including Picasso, Lucian Freud, Winston Churchill and Salvador Dalí. Cowles was drawn to nature through her artistic practice and regularly worked in tempura to create these powerful scenes of nature which crawled up the board taking over the composition.

Auction Details

Thursday 4 April, 10.30am GMT
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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