Rene Clarot (Belgian, 1882-1972)

Oil on canvas, signed: “Clarot R” and dated: “1907”.

A post-impressionist painter of marines and landscapes, Clarot worked in oils, watercolors and pastels. He was a student at the Academy of Brussels from 1896-1905. Upon completion of his studies, he traveled frequently to France and Germany. He eventually became well known for his numerous paintings of the ports of Brittany.

He exhibited extensively and was considered a member of the “L’essor” circle. In 1967, the gallery l’Escalier in Brussels devoted an exhibit to a retrospective of his work.

Clarot is listed in in Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs by Bénézit.

Painting size: 12” x 23.75”
Frame Size: 17” x 28.75”

Young Boy With Doll and Clay Pipe

Oil on board, signed lower left and dated "1872"

Painting Size: 10.5” x 8.25”
Frame Size: 15.5 ” x 13.25”

Mrs. Cloud was a painter of domestic genre scenes and is recorded as having exhibited at the Royal Academy, Suffolk Street and other galleries in England. A title of one of her paintings was “The Connemara Postman”. Little seems to be known of her painting career, but she wrote several articles for “Harper’s New Monthly Magazine” (Harper & Brothers, NY) which are all about her travels as a single woman in the 1870’s and 80‘s in Ireland. Her charming pen drawings illustrate rural life and scenes in Ireland for each article. Titles include: “A Lone Woman in Ireland”(1873), "The Connemara Hills" (1879), “An Irish Fishing Village” (1880) and “Ireland - The Arran Islands” (1881)

Sources:
Graves, Algernon, "Dictionary of Artists in the Principal London Exhibitions from 1760-1893"
Wood, Christopher. "Dictionary of British Art. Vol. IV, Victorian Painters"
"Harper’s New Monthly Magazine"

James John Hill (British, 1811-1882)

Oil on canvas, signed and dated: “(18__)” and retainging its original gilt wood and gesso frame.

Painting size: 12” x 10”
Frame size: 32” x 42”

James Curnock (British, 1812-1870)

Oil on canvas, signed.

A resident of Bristol, Curnock was best known for his portraits and figure subjects. He exhibited at both the Royal Academy and the Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street. His work is held in the permanent collection of the Bristol Art Gallery.

Curnock is listed in the Dictionary of British Artists, Vol. IV, Victorian Painters by Wood.

Painting size: 19” x 24”
Frame size: 25” x 31”

“On the qui vive” (The Smuggler)

Oil on canvas , titled, signed and dated on the reverse

"QUI VIVE" (A French phrase meaning long live who? (a sentry’s challenge), used to mean a state of alertness or watchfulness.)

Painting: 30" x 25"
Frame: 36.5" x 31.5"

One of the best-known painters working in north-east England during the early nineteenth century Henry Perlee Parker specialized in pictures of marine subjects and smugglers and came to be known as "Smuggler" Parker. He was a leading artist in Newcastle in the 1820s and 1830s, a member of the Northumberland Institution, and a co-founder (with T.M. Richardson) of the ill-fated Northern Academy of Arts. He died penniless in Shepherd's Bush in 1873. There was an exhibition of his work at the Laing Art Gallery, 1969-1970.

See Wiikpedia entry for a more complete biography

Ernest Bosch (German, 1834-1917)

Oil on canvas, signed lower left (behind frame).

Bosch was a pupil at the Academy of Dusseldorf under the instruction of K. Solm, T. Hildebrandt and Schadow. He was best known for his portrait and genre paintings. His genre paintings frequently included animals. Later in his career, he turned his focus more toward portraits of women. In addition to painting, Bosch was a skilled illustrator, etcher and lithographer. His works are held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Bremer and Museum of Hanover.

Bosch is listed in "Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs" by Bénézit and in "Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zu Gegenwart" by Thieme/Becker.

Painting size: 22” x 25”
Frame size: 28.25” x 31.25”

Young Busker With His Monkey

Oil-on-canvas, signed lower right

Painting Size: 24.5” x 20”
Frame Size: 35 ” x 30.25”

Thomsen was an artist adept at painting many different subjects: landscapes, portraits, genre scenes, mythological subjects and religious scenes. He was a student at l’Académie des Beaux-Arts in Copenhagen. He painted numerous altar pieces for the churches of Copenhagen as well as the country churches of surrounding area. This sensitive painting depicts a young street musician with his hurdy-gurdy slung over his back, his monkey tucked under his arm and his outstretched hand with his hat ready to receive coins.

Source:
Benezit, E. Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs