“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

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”