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Priory Fine Art

A Watermill in Derbyshire

Original Watercolour Painting

by John Glover (1767-1849)

  • Auction record £1.7 Million GBP ($2.7 Million USD).
  • Similar works on paper listed to £49,250 GBP ($79,218 USD).
  • We are grateful to Timothy Kendrew for confirming the authenticity of the painting on the basis of a first hand inspection (a signed letter from Timothy Kendrew is included in the sale).
  • With inscription 'G No.5' verso possibly in Glover's hand.
  • Painting - 18cm (7") x 25.5cm (10")
  • Frame - 39.5cm (15 1/2") x 48cm (19")

Lot Notes

An extremely fine example of the work of important British landscape painter John Glover.  The painting has been independently authenticated by Timothy Kendrew a former specialist with Christie's in London and Australia - a signed letter from Timothy Kendrew will be supplied to the buyer.

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

Condition

In very fine condition.  The colours fresh and well preserved, the paper with some light surface marking particularly upper left as photographed.  Presented in what is perhaps it's original early 19th century giltwood frame, the frame with extensive losses.

Artist Information

John Glover rose from rural obscurity to gain a reputation as a landscape painter second only to J M W Turner. He also proved highly influential, both directly as a teacher of professionals and amateurs in England, and then as an inspiration to newly-established artists in Australia. Mastering a variety of techniques, he was able to capture a wide range of atmospheric effects, though increasingly he gave watercolour the weight and intensity of oil, in order to emulate the Claudean tradition. Most characteristic – and popular – was his use of the ‘split brush’, in which watercolour was applied briskly with divided bristles in order to represent foliage. The son of an impoverished farmer, John Glover was born at Houghton on the Hill, Leicestershire, on 18 February 1767. He had two club feet, but worked in the fields as a youth and was extremely agile and active throughout his life. His experience of farming also instilled in him a great love of birds, animals and nature in general. A proficient calligrapher, Glover was appointed writing- master at the Free School in Appleby, Westmoreland, in 1786. Soon, he began to paint professionally and, in order to expand his artistic horizons, made visits to London; while there, he went to exhibitions and took lessons in watercolour, certainly from William Payne and possibly from John ‘Warwick’ Smith. Marrying in 1790, Glover became father of his first child, John Richardson Glover, in the same year; both John Richardson and a brother, William, would follow in their father’s footsteps to become landscape painters. In 1794, Glover set up as a drawing master in Lichfield, Staffordshire, teaching Henry Curzon Allport and Henry Salt – among others – and passing his ‘split brush’ technique onto them. During his time in the town, he entered the circle of the poet, Anna Seward, known as ‘the Swan of Lichfield’. Developing a reputation as a landscape watercolourist, Glover sent drawings each year for exhibition in London and, from 1795, also began to show oils at the Royal Academy of Arts. Though much of the period 1795-99 was taken up with making sketching tours through Britain, he then exhibited regularly; soon, he appeared to many contemporaries as the chief rival to J M W Turner – much to the irritation of John Constable. A founder member of the Society of Painters in Water Colours in 1804, Glover took a house in London – at 3 Montague Square – in 1805, following the success of its first exhibition, in which his works were more highly priced than those of any competitor. He was elected President in 1807, and again in 1814-15, during the period in which he was instrumental in its short-lived reconstruction as the Society for Painters in Oil and Water-Colours. At the same time, in 1814, he became the first English artist to be awarded a gold medal at the Paris Salon. In 1817, he withdrew from the Society of Painters in Water Colours in order to make his (unsuccessful) bid for election to the Royal Academy. Shortly after his resignation, Glover moved to Blowick Farm, a property near Patterdale, Ullswater, in the Lake District. However, a year later, he set out on a tour of Switzerland and Italy with H C Allport; and would sell the property to buy a work by Claude Lorrain. Between 1820 and 1824, Glover held a number of solo shows in London; these emphasised the traditional nature of his work by placing it among pictures by Claude Lorrain and Richard Wilson and his own copies of seventeenth century landscapes. In 1823, he also helped inaugurate the Society of British Artists. In 1830, Glover decided to follow his three younger sons to Van Diemen’s Land (now known as Tasmania). He was joined by his wife and eldest son, while his two married daughters remained in England. Arriving in Hobart on 1 April 1831, he used the substantial profit from the sale of both his pictures and his house (at 16 Montague Square) to purchase a large estate at Mill’s Plain, at the foot of Ben Lomond, east of Launceston – an estate he nostalgically named Patterdale. Painting the local scenery and inhabitants, as well as farming sheep, he sent pictures to various London exhibitions, including a solo show. However, he probably had a greater influence on the development of Australian art. He died on his estate on 9 December 1849. His work is represented in numerous public collections, including Tate and the V&A; The Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge), Leeds Art Gallery and Tyne & Wear Museums; and the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Sydney), the Art Gallery of South Australia (Adelaide), the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (Launceston) and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (Hobart).

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.

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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.)


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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 707 762.


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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