Stepping Stones

Oil on canvas, signed

Painting size: 9” x 12”
Frame size: 13.5” x 16.5”

Maidment was a painter in oil of rural scenes and landscapes. He is variously catalogued as Robin or Robert Fenson but usually just signed “R. Fenson” in red, often with a date. This was a pseudonym for Henry Maidment who also was known to have signed “A. Wynn”. Dated examples of his work have been seen spanning from 1898 until 1914. The quality of his paintings and the decorative subject matter have fueled an ever growing demand for Maidment’s work.

Source:
Wood, Jeremy. "Hidden Talents, A Dictionary of Neglected Artists working 1880-1950"

Miniature oval watercolor, framed.

Oval 1.25" x 1.75"

La Maison Carrée is one of the best preserved temples of the Roman Empire and was a major influence during the Classical Revival, inspiring Thomas Jefferson's design for the Virginia State Capitol.

(British School, 19th Century)

Oil on canvas, Unsigned

Painting size: 30” x 20”
Frame size: 36.25” x 26.5”

This sweet genre painting of a shepherdess with her flock reflects the theme of the child-of-nature, a sensibility embraced by Victorians during the 19th century. The figure’s youth and comely face convey innocence, while her steadfast pose next to the goldenrod suggests that she is at ease in her environment.

Oil-on-canvas, unsigned

Mid 19th Century

Painting: 20 ¼” x 16 ½”
Frame: 24 ¼” x 201/4”

Oil on canvas, 19th century Signed indistinctly lower right "Wm Mc *****" and dated

Painting: 21" x 28.5"
Frame: 27" x 34.25"

Ship portraits, such as this, were commissioned by the new owner often time itinerant artists who traveled around different boat builders looking for work. They documented exactly what the ship looked like with full sails, flags and rigging so if a boat was lost at sea the portrait could be presented to their insurance agent.

The London to Bath Coach Pulling up to the Spaniards Tavern, Bath, England in 1884

Oil on Canvas, signed, and dated l.r.

Painting: 14: x 26"
Frame: 20.5" x 32.5" (outer frame later)

A newly discovered gem from one of England's best coaching painters.

John Charles Maggs (1819–1896) was a painter best known for his coaching scenes. He was born in Bath, England in 1819, his father being a furniture japanner there. John painted a series of famous coaching inns, and also a series of 80 metropolitan inns, in which he exploited the picturesque and historical aspect of his subject, to which his talent was best suited.

Other subjects he painted include Newmarket Races, Robbing the Mails, The News of Waterloo, The Market Place at Bath. The period he illustrated spans about two centuries; from the days before Hogarth, to the end of the reign of William IV.

His work enjoyed great popularity at a time when there was much interest in such vivid reconstruction of the 'romantic past'.

John Maggs' father, James, is recorded as an artist at Bath 1837–1841 and his uncle as a portrait painter 1846–1848. His daughter also assisted at his studio, known as the Bath Art Studio. Maggs lived in Bath his whole life, and died there on 3 November 1896, aged 77.

THE SPANIARDS TAVERN The Spaniards Inn is a historic pub on Spaniards Road between Hampstead and Highgate in London, England. It lies on the edge of Hampstead Heath near Kenwood House. The pub is believed to have been built in 1585 on the Finchley boundary, with the tavern forming the entrance to the Bishop of London's estate—an original boundary stone from 1755 can still be seen in the front garden. Opposite it there is a toll house built in around 1710. would lead to more and faster traffic.

Dick Turpin is thought to have been a regular at the Inn, as his father had been its landlord.What is certain is that highwaymen frequented this area and likely used the Inn to watch the road; at that time the Inn was around two hours from London by coach[citation needed] and the area had its fair share of wealthy travellers. Records from the Old Bailey show that on 16 October 1751 Samuel Bacon was indicted for robbery on the King's Highway and was caught 200 yards from the Spaniards

In 1780 rioters involved in the Gordon Riots, opposed to the relaxation of laws in England that restricted Catholicism, marched on Hampstead intent on attacking Kenwood House, the home of William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield. The landlord of the Spaniards at the time is reported to have given them free drinks, keeping the rioters occupied, until the local militia arrived, thus saving the house.

The pub has been mentioned in Dickens's The Pickwick Papers and Bram Stoker's Dracula, and has been frequented by the artist Joshua Reynolds and the poets Byron and Keats. According to the pub, Keats wrote his Ode to a Nightingale in the gardens, and Stoker borrowed one of their resident ghost stories to furnish the plot of Dracula.

Old Master Style Still Life

Oil on Panel, signed

Provanance: Noortman Master Paintings, Maastrick

Painting: 9.75" x 7.25"
Frame: 16" x 13.75"

A Tri-aspect of a Topsail Trading Schooner off South Foreland (Cliffs of Dover)

Oil-on-canvas; verso label: Wm. Blair, Ltd, Bethesda, Maryland

Painting: 24” x 36”
Frame: 29 ¼” x 40 ¼”

Murday was an accomplished painter of ship portraits and shipping scenes whose works were often signed and dated in the second half of the 19th century. Regrettably, there is little biographical information available on this artist.

His paintings are in the collections of the Greenwich National Maritime Museum, the Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem, MA, and the San Francisco National Maritime Museum. Some representative titles are: The Barque Bernard, The Schooner Ellen Gillman, and A Barque Among Icebergs off Cape Horn.

British School, Circa 1870

Charming Genre Scene showing a traveler beseiged by begging children. The Victorians loved this type of painting that "tells a story", Note how the little girl staring straight out pulls you into the picture

Ptg: 27" x 33"
Frame: 32.5" x 38.5"

Italian School, Circa 1870.

Before photography, ship captains, owners or pasangers would commission local artists to paint their ship in foriegn ports, Here we see a ship in the Bay of Naples with Mount Vesuvius in the background

Ptg. : 10.5" x 16"
Frame: 13" x 18"

Red-haired Girl in Profile

Oil on canvas, unsigned

Painting Size: 16” x 14”
Frame Size: 22 ” x 20”

This charming portrait displays the influence of the “Gibson Girl” fashion sense with her softly piled hair and high collared blouse, made popular by the artist Charles Dana Gibson in the 1890’s.

Portrait of a Woman in Lace Cap

Oil on panel.

Provenance: J. Davey & Sons, Manchester, England

Painting size: 8.5” x 7”
Frame size: 11.5” x 10”

English School, 1834

Oil laid down to panel

"The Cardinal" was an Irish horse (owned by a Mr. Miles) who won The Chester Cup in 1834

Painting: 10" x 14.25"
Frame:16" x 20"

Oils on paper, unsigned.

Painting size: 3” x 4.5” (Approximately)
Frame size: 7” x 8.5” (Approximately)

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”

March at Sunset or The Old Story

Oil on canvas, signed and retaining two labels on the reverse with titles.

Painting size: 12.25” x 21.25”
Frame size: 18.75” x 27.5”

Born in Warrington, Virginia in 1847, Richard Norris Brooke made significant contributions to the development and posterity of the art community in Washington, DC. From his days as an instructor at the Virginia Military Institute to his tenure as vice principal of the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, Brooke shared his talent and enthusiasm for art with those around him. To this day, the Washington community honors his legacy with works on exhibit in venues from the U.S. Capitol to the National Museum of American Art.

Brooke's formal art education spanned many years and the Atlantic Ocean. Beginning in Pennsylvania, Brooke studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts from 1865 to 1871 under the tutelage of Edmund Bonsall and James R. Lambin. From there he traveled to France but not before a slight detour as the Chair of Fine Arts at the Virginia Military Institute from 1871 to 1872. From VMI, he traveled to France as the U.S. Consul in LaRochelle from 1873-1876. Brooke returned for a year to the United States before traveling back to France to study with Leon Bonnat and at the Académie Julian, Paris under Benjamin Jean-Joseph Constant from 1877 to 1879.

Upon Brooke's return to the United States, he settled in Washington, DC. A year later, in 1880, he established his own Washington, DC art studio. From then forward, he became an active member of the Washington art community, exhibiting on a regular basis, and joining organizations dedicated to fine arts. Perhaps his most active role as a Washington artist came when he served as vice principal of the Corcoran School of Art from 1902 until 1917. Brooke kept a "Record of Work" for all his paintings, a copy of which is in the library of the Museum of American Art, Washington D.C., which includes a thumbnail sketch, title, location and date painted of most of his paintings. Unfortunately, c.1909, a fire in his studio destroyed many of his paintings, just prior to a major retrospective exhibition.

Brooke's many memberships included the Society of Washington Artists for which he served as both President and a member of the Executive Committee during his tenure. Additionally, he was the Vice President of the Washington Art Club from 1881 to 1884. The Washington Society of Fine Arts, Washington Watercolor Club and American Federation of the Arts, complete the list of associations of which he was a member.

With participation in exhibitions from the National Academy of Design (NYC) to the Atlanta Expo, Brooke's work found its way into many private collections. Brooke died April 25, 1920 in Warrington VA. where he also lived and worked.

Japanese Landscape with Figures

Oil on canvas board, signed.

Painting size: 12” x 14”
Frame size: 17” x 19”

"Helen Wells Seymour (1878-1937) was educated in the Friends School in Washington, D. C. and she took special courses for two years in Columbia University and in the Doshisha Women's College, Kyoto, Japan. She spent several years of her life in Japan and China, was a collector of textiles and Japanese wall paintings, received diplomas in several Japanese arts, on which she lectured as a voluntary service, in the Women's College, Kyoto. She was a member of the Society of Women Geographers, of the Japan Society, the Society for Japanese Studies, and the Washington Club. She was a gifted painter of Japanese subjects and exhibited her work both in Japan and the United States. She left a rare and valuable collection of textiles, both Japanese and Chinese, and some fine wall paintings."
-David Lines Jacobus, "A History of the Seymour Family" (p. 40)

Seymour exhibited at the Society of Independent Artists in 1918. She also had an affiliation with the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts as reported in Mallett, "Index of Artists Supplement", which also identified her as having a Washington, DC address. Seymour is listed in Falk, "Who Was Who in American Art" and Marlor, "The Society of Independent Artists".

Standing Nude

A Bronze Figure, signed

Height: 16.5”

Born in England in 1888, Morley settled in New York and was a sculptor, craftsperson and teacher. She was a member of the Allied Artists of America and exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She is listed in Falk, Who Was Who in American Art.