Artists – Page 6 – Number One London

Paul and Thomas Sandby, Painters of Britain

Victoria here, sorting out bookshelves…yes, that’s sort of like cleaning, but not quite. And I found a treasure. Couldn’t remember when I bought it, but I found a copy of a wonderful book: Views of Windsor: Watercolours by Thomas and Paul Sandby. Of course, I had to quit the sorting and sit down to enjoy it.

The mystery was solved when I checked the publication page and saw that it is a catalogue which accompanied the exhibition of the same name from 1995-1997, which was shown in Amsterdam; Portland, Oregon; Memphis; Dallas; and Manchester, UK. I must have seen it in Dallas. The paintings are from the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. To see more, click here.

Paul Sandby, The Castle from the Long Walk, ca. 1765

Watercolour with pen and ink over graphite within black line

Zoom on Image here.

This is the view of the castle before the Round Tower was “tarted up” as a Gothic Fantasy by George IV and his architect Jeffry Wyattville in the 1820’s. Below, the view since that time, a much taller and more elaborate building.

Windsor Castle, Round Tower, 2010

Thomas Sandby (1721-1798) was the elder of the two brothers, both born in Nottingham. Thomas was an architectural draughtsman, artist and teacher. He joined the staff of William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, for his campaigns in Flanders and Scotland (1743–1748). Later, he became Deputy Ranger of Windsor Great Park, and also spent part of the year in London where he engaged in numerous architectural and artistic projects. He and his brother were among the 28 persons who were chosen as founding members of the Royal Academy; Thomas was the RA’s first Professor of Architecture.

Thomas Sandby, RA, by Sir William Beechey, n.d., NPG, London

Paul Sandby, View through the Norman Gateway, looking west towards the Winchester Tower,

ca. 1770; Watercolour with pen and ink over graphite

Zoom here.

Paul Sandby (1731-1809) was chief draughtsman for the Board of Ordnance’s 1747 project of mapping the Scottish Highlands. In the 1750’s, Paul and Thomas Sandby created hundreds of views of Windsor, the castle, the royal grounds, the town and other scenes. Their work was admired by artists such as Gainsborough, who appreciated the details they captured. More than 500 of their paintings and drawings are held in the Royal Collection. Paul was chief drawing master to the Royal Military academy and published several volumes of his works over the years. At his death, he was called “the father of modern landscape painting.”

Paul Sandby sketching, by Francis Coates, 1791

Tate Britain

Paul Sandby, The Henry VIII Gateway and the Salisbury Tower from within the Lower Ward, ca. 1770

Watercolour with pen and ink over graphite within black ink line

Though it may be difficult to see without enlarging these views (which can easily be done with the zoom feature of the Royal Collection), one of the major interests of the Sandbys’ work goes beyond the exactitude of the buildings in time. The figures in the foreground, pedestrians, workers, riders…all provide a perfect picture of what people wore, what they did, even what they ate at the time. They provide a rich source for those of us who obsess over minute details of the period.

Paul Sandby, The north front of the Castle from Isherwood’s Brewery in Datchet Lane, c. 1765

Watercolour and body colour with pen and ink

Zoom here.

Paul Sandby, The Norman Gateway from the gate to the North Terrace, ca. 1770

Watercolour and bodycolour with pen and ink over graphite

Zoom here.

Paul Sandby, The Castle from Datchet Lane on a rejoicing night, 1768

Watercolour and bodycolour including gold paint, within black line

Zoom Here.

The subject matter of the rejoicing night is unknown; from the leaves on the trees, it cannot be Guy Fawkes Night (5 November), but the distant bonfire and/or fireworks suggests a celebration.

Thomas and Paul Sandby The Walk and terrace at Cranbourne Lodge 1752

Watercolour and bodycolour with Pen and ink over graphite

This volume of wonderful views of Windsor is now in a more prominent position in my bookcases — and I am willing to report that I plan to share any more treasures I uncover. I’ve already got one in mind, Royal London. Coming one of these days….

Kenwood House: Traveling Treasures

Early Spring at Kenwood House

Victoria here, recalling several visits to Kenwood House, a beautiful white mansion sitting atop Hampstead Heath just outside of central London. Originally built in the early 17th century, it was remodeled by Robert Adam 1764-1779 in the neoclassic style with Adam’s distinctive and oft-copied interiors.

1st Earl of Mansfield (1705-1793)

At the time, it was owned by William Murray, who was named Baron Mansfield, later 1st Earl of Mansfield. He was the Lord Chief Justice from 1756 to 1788 and is credited with major contributions to the development of English law as well as measures to end slavery in the British Isles.

Elevations of Kenwood House, 1764

The famous Library

In 1925, Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh (1847-1927) and heir to a brewery fortune, bought the house from the Mansfield heirs as the home for his magnificent collection of art. At Iveagh’s death in 1927, he left both the house and the art collection to the nation. It is also known as the Iveagh Bequest.

Now managed by English Heritage, Kenwood House is undergoing extensive renovations and improvements, returning many rooms to their appearance after Robert Adam decorated them, probably to match the library, which has been long admired by visitors.

In 2012-13 an exhibition of works from the collection Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London is touring museums in the United States while Kenwood House is closed. Many of the works have never before been outside Britain. The treasured Rembrandt Self-Portrait was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art briefly in spring before the whole exhibition opened at the Fine Arts Museum of Houston, Texas, where it can been seen until September 3, 2012.

Self Portrait, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1661

I am particularly excited because the collection will next travel to the Milwaukee Art Museum (practically in my front yard) from October 12, 2012 through January 13, 2013. After Milwaukee, the collection will be shown in Seattle and later yet at the Arkansas Art Center.

The other artists celebrated in the title of this traveling exhibition include Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641) who painted numerous portraits of English royalty and aristocrats.

Princess Henrietta of Lorraine attended by a Page, 1634

Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) is renowned for his exquisite portraits, and this one is among his best.

Mary, Countess of Howe, c. 1764

Many other masterworks are included in the nearly fifty paintings in the exhibition by artists such as Canaletto, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Sir Thomas Lawrence, Sir Edwin Landseer, and…

Portrait of Pieter van der Broecke, by Frans Hals, 1633

Joseph Mallord William Turner, A Coast Scene

with Fisherman Hauling a Boat Ashore, c. 1803-04

George Romney, Emma Hart as The Spinstress, c. 1783-84

The exhibition Rembrandt, van Dyck and Gainsborough: Treasures from Kenwood House is organized by The American Federation of Art and English Heritage.

You Animal, You!

Charlotte Cory – artist, playwright and Bronte afficianado – is the subject of You Animal, You!, an in-depth look at the world of Charlotte Cory’s art, featuring essays placing Cory’s art in context. Highly illustrated, great fun and at the same time oddly serious.

Cory’s photographic collages skillfully rework Victorian photographic visiting cards and invite viewers to speculate on the events behind the picture. Cory combines these poignant cartes-de-visite images with portraits taken of stuffed animals from museums and her own collection. By recycling these dispossessed images and long-dead creatures, she gives them all a new lease of life. Brighter, more colourful, more interesting and more disturbing than before.

Cory’s images are accompanied by featured essays, including an introduction to the world of the Visitorians by distinguished author and historian AN Wilson. The curator of the Royal Photograph Collection, Sophie Gordon, discusses Cory’s reinterpretation of Victorian photographic ideas and innovations for our age. You Animal, You! is an in-depth look at the world of this unusual artist that will delight her fans and interest newcomers to her work in equal measure.

Cory’s work can also currently be viewed at The Green Parrot Gallery, London SE10.

Another 'Look of Love"

Victoria here, having recently toured the exhibit “The Look of Love” at the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama (on my way home from a winter in Florida near Kristine and Jo).

This was my first ever visit to Birmingham and thus my first taste of the delicious museum of art, which we began with luncheon at Oscar’s Restaurant (delicious, indeed!) before approaching our target: The Look of Love: Eye Miniatures from the Skier Collection.

The museum was filled with children. probably school tours, and they seemed particularly attracted to the museum shop, like all kids everywhere, seeking a memento of their visit.

I had read about the exhibition on line in articles published all over (see Jo Manning’s piece here), and in the catalogue, which absorbed my attention cover to cover. Even if you are not fortunate enough to make your way to Birmingham before June 10, this catalogue will give you an excellent view of all the pieces accompanied by several scholarly articles and Jo Manning’s delightful fictional vignettes.

Nan Skier and Victoria at the exhibition

I was fortunate to be introduced on-line (by Jo Manning) to Nan Skier, and we met in person at the exhibition. We had an enlightening chat about the unique collection she and her husband, Dr. David Skier, have amassed. To hear her tell how they got started, listen to this interview via Skype with Polish television.

The very tiny objects, from as small as less than half a square inch to a wallet containing both a lover’s eye and miniature of a hand, and a tea cup decorated with an eye, are exhibited in a darkened room in handsome cases and vitrines under pinpoints of light. Thus my pictures are both dark and a little blurry since they are enlarged quite a bit. The better pictures here are the official pictures by the professional photographer Sean Pathashema.

Above is one of the cases on which the Lover’s Eyes are displayed with descriptions below. Though it might be hard to photograph, the layout is very effective in presenting the delicate objects in the best possible manner.

Gold oval pendant surrounded by seed pearls, ca. 1830. Brown right eye with clouds

1 7/8 (with hanger) x 1 3/8 x 1/4 in.

gold teardrop-shaped brooch surrounded by split pearls, ca. 1790; Blue right eye.
3/4 x 1 1/4 x 1/4 in.

The Lover’s Eyes in the Skier Collection are all similar — yet no two are alike. Most of them are worn as jewelry — rings, pendants, bracelets, e.g.

Bracelet surmounted with miniature in gold surround with drop pearl;

Plaited hairwork on reverse;

Restrung with four strands of cultured pearls; Gray right eye.

1 5/8 x 2 x 1/4 in. (surround only)

Many are set with precious stones: there are examples of pearls, diamonds, garnets, coral and turquoise, among others.

Yellow gold brooch with border of thirty-two natural oriental half pearls in a floral motif

with eight small turquoise stones;

oval locket back with woven brown hair under glass, c. 1820

brown right eye; 1 x 1 1/8 x 1/4 in.

Rose gold oval brooch surrounded by double asymmetrical rows of seed pearls;

suggestion of cloud border; convex backing with Prince of Wales hair plumes;

brown right eye; 1 x 1 1/4 x 1/4 in.

Heart shaped gold ring with Hessonite garnet surround

crowned with a flower and ribbon motif, c. 1790. Blue right eye.

on reverse of ivory lozenge is a sepia and embroidered hairwork image depicting interlocking hearts

in front of an oak. 15/16 x 5/8 x 7/8 in.

Every one of these objects must have a story — of love or of loss. But few can be identified by either sitter or artist. History has made them unknown, and this gives a particularly poignant and mysterious twist to the exhibition. In a brilliant move, however, the catalogue contains several fictional stories — what MIGHT have been. Jo Manning is the author and her imagination took wing. Highly recommended.

So-called “Memory Box” made of embossed and painted paper

containing eye miniature, c. 1830. Brown left eye.

1 1/8 x 1 1/4 x 5/8 in.

A patch box, a stick pin, the wallet, and the teacup — what many uses have been found for the lover’s eyes. Nan and I discussed the fact that many of the eyes portrayed are from the left side, and we speculated on how such a choice could be made — by the artist, the sitter or the person who made the commission?

Rose gold pendant surrounded by blue enamel with half pearls.

Brown left eye. 1 x 11/16 x 1.8 in.

Richard Cosway, self-portrait (1742-1821) c. 1790

National Portrait Gallery, London

It amused me to note that one of the few lover’s eyes that an be identified by its artist is by Richard Cosway (1742-1821) greatly celebrated in his day as a painter and a close friend of the Prince Regent, later George IV. And yet, this particular piece is one of very few that is not bejeweled, but instead decorated with paste (fake) red stones. Rather ironic, I thought.

Gold oval brooch surrounded by foil-backed red pastes, c. 1790. Blue left eye surrounded by curls

Attributed to Richard Cosway

Many thanks to Nan Skier for gracious hospitality and fascinating discussion.

The Look of Love is a most interesting and beautiful exhibition. You have a month, until June 10, 2012, to make it to Birmingham. Hurry!

I will report on other treasures in the Birmingham Museum of Art shortly.

Tom Sully, Artist Extraordinaire

On March 11, 2012, Jo Manning wrote here of her experiences associated with the current exhibition The Look of Love at the Birmingham (AL) Museum of Art, for which she wrote selections in the catalogue. She rhapsodized about the talent and charm of Tom Sully, a contemporary artist who has painted several types of miniatures: portraits, eyes, and pets, as well as accomplishments in many other formats. We wanted to know more about him; what follows is our interview with artist Tom Sully.

Tom Sully: Self Portrait, 2010, watercolor on ivory, 2 7/8 x 2 3/8 in.

Number One London: You have a very famous great-great-great-grandfather, renowned portraitist Thomas Alfred Sully (1783-1872), who painted Queen Victoria and Thomas Jefferson, among others. How did it affect you having the same name as your grandfather and being an artist as well?

Thomas A. Sully (1783-1872), Lady with a Harp: Eliza Ridgely, 1818

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C.

Tom Sully: As a young man I found Victorian art cloying. I decided to go to art school in California where few had ever heard of Thomas Sully. When I arrived in New York afterwards, theories of deconstruction held sway in the art world. While all my peers were making conceptual art, I turned to illustration for my living, since you still needed to know how to draw for that. My first portrait commission was from The New Yorker, who hired me to paint a singer performing at The Rainbow Room. It was then that I took Sully’s Hints To Young Painters down from the shelf and got to work.

Tom Sully: Garland, 2012, oil on linen, 24 x 20

NOL: Have there been other people in the arts in your family?

TS: Sully’s parents were actors and all his siblings were actors and musicians. His children painted – the most promising, another Thomas, unfortunately died young. I’m descended from Sully’s son Alfred, an army general who painted Native American scenes while serving in the Dakotas. The most recent artist family member of note is Thomas O. Sully, a celebrated New Orleans architect who bridged the 19th and 20th centuries. His grandfather, the portraitist’s brother, had moved to Louisiana in the early 1800s. When he wasn’t designing Queen Anne-style Garden District mansions, the architect loved to hunt and fish in the Louisiana countryside. I feel a connection to him when I go into the bayous and swamps to find subjects for landscapes.

Tom Sully: After Henry Inman, 2011, oil on linen, 15 x 12 in.

NOL: You have painted portraits, landscapes, and other relatively large-scale oil paintings for years. What inspired you to paint portrait miniatures?

TS: In 2001 I saw an amazing traveling exhibition. Love and Loss, American Portrait and Mourning Miniatures, organized by Robin Jaffee Frank at Yale University Art Gallery. What intrigued me was that these are intimate portraits, full of heartfelt, personal associations. These charged images sustained a current between people otherwise separated by the vagaries of life and geography, the daily routine, or even death. An image of a family member or loved one, small enough to be held in the hand and carried on your person, can take on the properties of a talisman. When worn, they become a public emblem of affection. The
y were and can still be used today as a catalyst in courtship. To me, this is portraiture at its best and about as far away from the institutional boardroom portrait as you can get! The show included a miniature Sully had painted to mourn the death of his mother. Of course, the technique and sheer artistry of these paintings is incredible. It took me awhile to track down the materials and get up the nerve to work so small.

NOL: Do you paint in the traditional technique with tiny stippled dots of watercolor on ivory?

TS: Yes, I use a combination of stippling and hatching, applying small amounts of paint and waiting for each layer to dry before adding the next, gradually and patiently building up richness and depth while achieving a likeness. A little like the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland, this small space becomes your world.

Tom Sully: Susan Tying Her Necklace, 2011, watercolor on ivory, 2 7/8 x 2 3/8 in.

NOL: Do you work from photographs or do your miniature subjects pose while you sketch or paint?

TS: I like to work from photographs that I take myself. I find photography a useful conceptual tool – we can try out different angles on the face, different hairstyles, clothing, jewelry and lighting until we are happy with the composition in one or more of them. The photos do not then become “the be all and end all” but what Degas called an “aide de memoire.” While I paint, I improve on the photos. Sentiment, emotion and empathy continually inform my hand. My ancestor said, “from long experience I know that resemblance in a portrait is essential; but no fault shall be found with the artist, at least by the sitter, if he improve the appearance”.

NOL: How did you learn about the availability of woolly mammoth ivory?

TS: My first efforts were on Ivorine, a 20th century ivory substitute, and then vellum mounted on card. One supplier led me to another until I found someone in Dorset who could obtain mammoth ivory from Siberia where research crews have been finding whole woolly mammoths preserved in the permafrost. He has since sold his business but fortunately I have a pretty good stockpile.

Tom Sully: Eric, His Eye, 2011, watercolor on ivory, 3/4 x 5/8 in.

NOL: What led you to painting eye portraits?

TS: My interest was piqued by an article about eye portraits that I found in a 1904 issue of The Connoisseur. When a portrait commission took me to Philadelphia, I was spellbound by the collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. They are surely the most startling and, as portraits exchanged between lovers, the most romantic form of the art. There is a mystery to eye portraits that I’m unable to explain. It may come in part from seeing such an arresting image in so small a format – they are usually no bigger than one-half to three-quarters of an inch. In the Look of Love show currently at the Birmingham Museum of Art, there are stick pins and rings with images even smaller! In my experience of painting these, people that know the portrait subject immediately recognize them from this one fragment. I also find that they resonate well with a contemporary art audience. As I said to my wife one day, “eye portraits are so damn strange that they may as well be cutting-edge contemporary art!”

Tom Sully: Lucy, watercolor on ivory, 2/2 x 2 1/8 in.

NOL: We noticed on your website that you also paint dogs.

TS: I love painting dog portraits. One need only look at the work of Sir Edwin Landseer to see that dog painting is serious business. Dogs are great to w
ork with since they are less self-conscious than we are. A British client hired me to paint miniatures of his two bulldogs. When one of them died about six months later, we realized we had been unknowingly prescient. I painted a West Highland Terrier in Palm Beach who was so poised that she must have been a fashion model in a previous life.

Tom Sully: Solomon, 2006, watercolor on ivory, 2 1/2 x 2 1/16 in.

NOL: What do you charge for a portrait miniature?

TS: I charge $3,000 for a head and shoulders to half-length portrait miniature and $2,500 for an eye portrait. These prices include the cost of a locket in rose gold, yellow gold or sterling silver.

NOL: Tell us about your current work?

TS: I’m currently painting an eye portrait commission for a client in Birmingham, Alabama. I’m also working on a body of Louisiana inspired landscapes for a show in New Orleans this fall. I used to live there and began exploring the countryside for landscape subjects during the evacuation from Hurricane Katrina. The bayou country and especially the swamps, which seem to exist outside of time and civilization, are a great subject for a painter with a Romantic bent.