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Priory Fine Art

Assorted Roses in a Glass Vase with a Bee

Original Oil Painting on Canvas

by Cecil Kennedy (1905-1997)

  • England's most important 20th century still life painter
  • Auction Record £82,000
  • Signed lower right
  • 'Gallery' condition
  • Independently Authenticated by Christie's Fine Art Auctioneers (see below)
  • Painting - 51cm (20") x 36cm (14")
  • Frame - 63.5cm (25") x 51cm (20")

Lot Notes

A museum quality oil painting on canvas by one of England's greatest 20th century flower painters; Cecil Kennedy.  The painting is a wonderful still life painting, the reflection in the vase is beautifully observed and is characteristic of many of Kennedy's still lifes, the flowers themselves are expertly rendered with superb detail as one would expect from Kennedy's work.  Kennedy's trademark butterfly is present on a leaf lower left of center.  The painting is signed lower right.  Arguably one of the most important still life paintings ever to be offered for sale on eBay.

The painting has been independently authenticated by Christie's,one of the Worlds pre-eminent fine art auctioneers.  Due to the extraordinary prices realised at auction since the artist's death a copy of the Christie's authentication will be supplied to the winning bidder.

Kennedy's work is highly collectible many thousands of pounds at auction. Please see the snapshots of auction results in the photograph section of this listing.

Condition

The painting is in very fine 'gallery' condition; the canvas not lined and entirely original, it may benefit from a very light clean.  The painting is presented in it's original wood and gilt composite frame, the frame with minor losses.

Artist Information

Cecil Kennedy will be best remembered for his highly detailed depictions of flowers, though he also worked as a portrait painter. His greatest works are admired for their exquisite detail and artful compositions, and many of these were produced during the 1960s. Kennedy’s wife Winifred created the brilliant flower arrangements, usually in a vase from their collection of mid-eighteenth century Waterford vases, which continually inspired his work.   Cecil Kennedy was born into a large artistic Victorian family. He was the youngest of thirteen children. His grandfather was an artist who had lived in France, sketched with Jean Baptiste Camille Corot and exchanged drawings with him. His father was a landscape painter and four of his brothers were artists. His brother Charles, who died in the ‘flu epidemic of 1918, was a particular influence on him. In the early thirties he met and married Winifred Aves. She became his inspiration and for sixty-four years they worked together as a creative team.   In the Second World War Kennedy was called up and fought in the British Army in Europe. He was in Antwerp during the winter of 1944 where he sought out and befriended Flemish painters. It was a time for reflection, and studying Flemish and Dutch still life paintings in their natural setting brought about a definite change in Kennedy’s painting style. He maintained contact with Flemish artists up to his death. Cecil Kennedy had many important patrons. Queen Mary bought his work, as did the Duke of Windsor and the Astors. Queen Mary is quoted as saying "When I see Cecil Kennedy’s pictures I can smell the flowers and hear the hum of the bees." She noticed he had painted a ladybird on a flower stem. Thereafter all his paintings contained a ladybird. Lord Thompson of Fleet, a friend and patron, wrote about him and commented that "his pictures conveyed a joy of life and artistic creativity."  Kennedy had an important exhibiting career, showing before the age of twenty four at both the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Hibernian Academy, regularly at the Royal Academy and in the provinces. From the 1950s until the 1970s, Kennedy exhibited regularly with the Fine Art Society, who were keen advocates of his work. He was awarded a silver medal at the Paris Salon in 1956, and a gold medal in 1970. Kennedy was recently celebrated in a retrospective of contemporary flower painting, Three Flower Painters, held at the Richard Green Gallery in 1997. Mr Green was one of several art dealers to champion Kennedy’s unsurpassed eminence in the genre of flower painting, blending botanical accuracy and sensual effects.  Kennedy ’s artful juxtapositions of modern exotic hybrids blooms and humble favourites like field grasses, as well as the plant species celebrated in the works of the Old Masters revealed his knowledgeability as a plantsman as well as an artist. While studying in the great national collections of the major artistic centres, London, Paris, Antwerp and Zurich, Kennedy fell under the influence of the Old Masters, from whom he derived his meticulous technique. The novelty of his all white arrangements reflected an awareness of twentieth century horticultural innovations as well such as Vita Sackville-West’s ‘white garden.’

General Information

Hang your investments on the wall

Art has long been regarded as a strong and safe investment. Ellen Kelleher a personal finance reporter for The Financial Times recently wrote an article recommending art, particularly in the $500 - $50,000 range as a sound long term investment with an impressive current average annual increase of 9.7 percent. See Hang your investments on the wall by Ellen Kelleher Published October 22 2010 by the Financial Times.

About Us

Priory Fine Art specialises in high quality 17th - 20th Century British and European Fine Art. Our team have a combined experience of over 80 years in the field of fine art and have together handled the sale of many millions of pounds worth of art. As well as our own team of specialists we have close contacts from the leading auction houses who often assist us with particular pieces.

Postage and Packing

All of our paintings are professionally packaged in rigid hardboard boxes to ensure they reach you in pristine condition. Orders to the UK mainland are sent using a fully insured overnight courier service, orders to the rest of the World are sent on prompt and insured signed for services and are usually delivered within three working days.

Certificate of Authenticity

Every item we sell is fully guaranteed to be as described and a signed photo certificate is issued with every painting. We use the same cataloguing terms as most major auction houses, the terms that appear in the listing are also used on the certificates of authenticity. The cataloguing terms that we use have the following meanings;

  1. where the bold coloured text which forms the listing's heading reads 'by' and is followed by the artist's full name (or the artist's initials, if his full name is unrecorded), the work is in our opinion by the artist;
  2. where the expression "attributed to" is used, the work is in our opinion possibly a work by the artist, in whole or in part;
  3. where the expression 'circle of' is used, the work is in our opinion a work of the period of the artist and showing his influence;
  4. where the expression 'follower of' is used, the work is in our opinion a work executed in the artist's style but not necessarily by a pupil;
  5. where the expression 'manner of' is used, the work is in our opinion a work executed in the artist's style but of a later date;
  6. where the term "after" is used, the work is in our opinion a copy or pastiche (of any date) of a work by the artist. Where the term 'signed...' is used in our opinion the work has been signed by the artist, where the term 'with signature...' or 'bears signature...' is used in our opinion the signature is by a hand other than that of the artist.

Our guarantee

Every item we sell is covered by a no quibble 14 day money back guarantee.

In addition every lot which is described as being 'by' a certain artist without qualification is warranted by Priory Fine Art Limited for a period of one year. All items are warranted by Priory Fine Art Limited for a period of one year in respect of age and medium (for details see return section below.)


Payment options

Our preferred method of payment is credit/debit card.  Please call 01636 830 824 to pay by card.

We also accept payment through PayPal, by cheque/postal order or by bank transfer

We require payment within 48 hours of the end of the listing unless we have agreed otherwise before the end of the auction.


About Priory Fine Art

Priory Fine Art specialises in 17th - 20th Century British and European Fine Art. Our team have a combined experience of over 80 years in the field of fine art. We issue a certificate of authenticity with every painting that we sell.

We aim to provide a first class service with a personal touch, if you would like to discuss any painting we have for sale please call us on 01636 830 824.


Returns policy

All items are covered by a no quibble 14 day money back guarantee.

In addition Priory Fine Art Limited warrants for a period of one year from the date of sale that where the larger white text which forms a listing's heading states without qualification that a work is by a named author that that item is an autograph work by that author and not a forgery or reproduction of any kind.

Where any representations regarding age, authorship, culture, date, origin, period, source or medium is made in the larger white text which forms a listing's heading this is also warranted by Priory Fine Art Limited for a period of one year from the date of sale.

Only the larger white text that forms a listing's heading indicates what is being warranted by Priory Fine Art Limited. Priory Fine Art Limited's warranty does not apply to supplemental material that appears below the larger white text (i.e. the smaller text which forms the main body of each listing) and Priory Fine Art Limited is not responsible for errors or omissions in such material.

The warranty does not apply to any heading which is stated to be a qualified opinion. The warrant is not assignable and shall apply only to the original buyer of the lot as shown on the original invoice issued by Priory Fine Art Limited when the lot was sold. The buyer's sold and exclusive remedy is the cancellation of the sale and the refund of the original purchase price paid for the lot.


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