William Langley Antique Large Oil Painting Country Wood Figures Signed

Description

A beautifully painted oil on canvas painting by William Langley (fl. 1880-1920) of a track in a woodland with people walking and others in a horse and cart.  The rural countryside stretches out into the distance.

A couple of examples of recent auction sales of similar works by this artist are included at the end of the photos.

Frame:

Presented in an ornate swept gilt wooden frame.

Signature:

Lower right.

Provenance:

Private collection.

Condition:

Painting and frame are both in good condition.  The canvas has been re-lined.

Measurements:

Painting measures 75 x 49cm and the overall frame 89 x 63cm.

Biography:

William Langley, who flourished in the late 19th and early 20th century, was a prolific landscape painter, primarily in oil, who specialised in coastal beach scenes, highland scenes usually with cattle and rural landscapes. Surprisingly, for such a prolific painter, little is known about his life, which may suggest that his name is a pseudonym. He is frequently confused with the West Country artist Walter Langley and the dates given for him are often the same i.e. 1852-1922. It is also sometimes suggested that this is one of the pseudonyms used by Daniel Sherrin.

One written biography in Jeremy Wood's book 'Hidden Talents' quotes

“Painter in oil of rural landscapes and coastal scenes who was working in the early 1900s. The subjects of this prolific artist included views in Cornwall, the South of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Among the titles of known works are 'On the Lledr', 'Wee Bridge, Killarney', 'In the Glen', and 'Sunshine after Rain, a Village in the Thames'. The work shows a distinct simarity to that of several artists working at the time and the signature could possibly be a pseudonym. The pictures are often large and decorative and have become increasingly popular in recent years.”