Tag: art

Price Points: Rustic artworks

Rustic artworks

I’m on the look out for something very, very particular to hang on a wall in our dining room – rustic artworks. It’s probably the most niche thing I’ve ever featured here on our blog.

We have lots of paintings, prints and other wall hangings that we brought with us from our old house. Unfortunately, very few of them suit the décor of this cottage. They’re either too modern, too colourful or the subject matter doesn’t sit well in this setting.

I want one or more rustic home fare, still life artworks. To explain, the subject matter needs to be rustic food in the home; either eating it, preparing & cooking it or simply just set out as a vignette. It can’t show a lavish spread or feast, that would be out of keeping with our humble cottage.

Secondly, I’d like the scene to appear as though it could be located in rural Wales (I told you it was niche!). It can’t look like it’s in the Mediterranean with olives and vine tomatoes or somewhere even more tropical with a bowl of mangoes, bananas and pineapples in a fruit bowl. Similarly, something obviously in a town or city wouldn’t look right.

Thirdly, I want it to appear as though it’s set in the early 19th century or earlier. No electric lights, kitchen appliances or other modern trappings.

One of the three (I’m sure you can work out which it is) on my shortlist ticks every one of my boxes. But I think it would look really twee and obvious – what do you think?

  1. La Soupière Blanche (The White Soup Tureen) by Anne Vallayer-Coster (1744-1818): £5.95 – £62.95, PosterLounge
    The original oil painting is held in a private collection in Paris.
  2. Market Day in Old Wales by Sydney Curnow Vosper (1866-1942): £10 – £90
    The original watercolour is in the permanent collection of National Museum Wales
  3. Two Peasants Feasting by Adriaen van Ostade (1610-1685): $219 – $1,797.00
    The original oil painting is in the permanent collection of Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister – Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.

shop rustic artworks

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Two Peasants Feasting by Adriaen van Ostade
Two Peasants Feasting by Adriaen van Ostade
$219 - $1,797.00
Market Day in Old Wales by Sydney Curnow Vosper
Market Day in Old Wales by Sydney Curnow Vosper
£10 - £90
La Soupière Blanche (The White Soup Tureen) by Anne Vallayer-Coster
La Soupière Blanche (The White Soup Tureen) by Anne Vallayer-Coster
£5.95 - £62.95
Two Peasants Feasting by Adriaen van Ostade
Two Peasants Feasting by Adriaen van Ostade
$219 - $1,797.00
Market Day in Old Wales by Sydney Curnow Vosper
Market Day in Old Wales by Sydney Curnow Vosper
£10 - £90
La Soupière Blanche (The White Soup Tureen) by Anne Vallayer-Coster
La Soupière Blanche (The White Soup Tureen) by Anne Vallayer-Coster
£5.95 - £62.95
Two Peasants Feasting by Adriaen van Ostade
Two Peasants Feasting by Adriaen van Ostade
$219 - $1,797.00
Market Day in Old Wales by Sydney Curnow Vosper
Market Day in Old Wales by Sydney Curnow Vosper
£10 - £90
La Soupière Blanche (The White Soup Tureen) by Anne Vallayer-Coster
La Soupière Blanche (The White Soup Tureen) by Anne Vallayer-Coster
£5.95 - £62.95
Two Peasants Feasting by Adriaen van Ostade
Two Peasants Feasting by Adriaen van Ostade
$219 - $1,797.00
Market Day in Old Wales by Sydney Curnow Vosper
Market Day in Old Wales by Sydney Curnow Vosper
£10 - £90
La Soupière Blanche (The White Soup Tureen) by Anne Vallayer-Coster
La Soupière Blanche (The White Soup Tureen) by Anne Vallayer-Coster
£5.95 - £62.95
Two Peasants Feasting by Adriaen van Ostade
Two Peasants Feasting by Adriaen van Ostade
$219 - $1,797.00
Market Day in Old Wales by Sydney Curnow Vosper
Market Day in Old Wales by Sydney Curnow Vosper
£10 - £90
La Soupière Blanche (The White Soup Tureen) by Anne Vallayer-Coster
La Soupière Blanche (The White Soup Tureen) by Anne Vallayer-Coster
£5.95 - £62.95

Designer Desire: Walter Lambert

Montage of Walter Lambert paintings

Last week, we featured Louis Shabner and his kitsch portraits of pretty women. In doing our research on him, we discovered Walter Lambert. He’s probably not as well known as some of his contemporaries of a similar ilk; Shabner, Tretchikoff and Lynch. However, we think that he’s as talented as any of them.

He worked from the 1930s until the 60s creating the Leyland Ladies – portraits for the company’s annual calendar (examples of which are on the top row in the montage above). Many of the original oil on canvas Leyland artworks now reside at the British Commercial Vehicle Museum in Leyland, Lancashire.

In the late 1960s, he painted a number of covers for the Princess Tina weekly magazine and annuals. The readership was young, teen girls so the subject matter reflects this. Three examples are included above; 2nd row and 3rd row, left.

Stuart Webb (who recently wrote a book about Shabner) is lucky enough to own a few original Walter Lambert artworks – go check them out!

Item credits:
Art UK | Comic Fans | Flickr | Invaluable

Designer Desire: Louis Shabner

Montage of Louis Shabner paintings

There were a number of mid-century artists who specialised in producing kitsch portraits of beautiful, young women. Louis Shabner was one of the more well known, alongside Vladimir Tretchikoff and J H Lynch.

His subjects look like glamorous Bond girls and have names like Ursula, Nicola, Melanie, Gail, Ingrid and Sara. At the time, his works were widely retailed by Boots the Chemists and through Freemans catalogues. Today, you can readily come across these original vintage prints of his for sale on eBay and Etsy.

Born in Enfield, Middlesex, Louis Shabner began his artistic career designing shop window advertising for brands such as EveryReady, Ovaltine and Chivers.

During the 1950s & 60s, and working under the pseudonym of ‘Sheldon’, Shabner was the creator of pulp fiction book cover artworks – primarily for Pan.

Stuart Webb recently authored a book on Shabner – unfortunately, the hardback edition is already sold out and is out of print. However, the paperback version is now available.

Image credit:
American Gallery

Auction Alert: Pictures, 19th/20th Century Design & Ceramics

WEDGWOOD RAVILIOUS MUG - EDWARD VIII

444 lots are coming under the hammer at the next Pictures, 19th/20th Century Design & Ceramics sale at Lawrence Fine Art Auctioneers Ltd in Crewkerne, Somerset. The auction takes place on 19th January 2022, from 10am.

If you’re an avid wild bird enthusiast (like we are) there are lots of lovely original works of art featuring (primarily) waders; oystercatchers, plovers, moorcocks, geese and greenshanks. We’ve featured a few of these below.

We’ve also highlighted a couple of Whitefriars ‘drunken bricklayer’ glass vases in the larger size. These are highly collectable and continue to rise in value.

A premium of 30% (25% plus VAT) will be charged on top of the hammer price on all lots. VAT isn’t applicable on books or unframed maps.

Any lots purchased online with the-saleroom.com will be subject to an additional 5.94% (4.95% plus VAT) which is applied by the saleroom.com.
Any lots purchased online with easyliveAuction.com will be subject to an additional 3.6% (3% plus VAT) or you can opt to pay a flat fee per sale of £3.00 (inc VAT)  per sale which is applied by easyliveAuction.
Whilst the responsibility for the collection of purchases rests with the buyer, subject to the terms below, for a packing fee plus the cost of postage and insurance, when time permits, we are able to post small items such as jewellery, small items of silver, individual books, small ceramics, coins, medals etc.

On their website, they include a long list of items that they are not prepared to ship, so check prior to bidding.

SIR KYFFIN WILLIAMS, RA - 'A HAMLET IN THE HILLS'

Lot 774: SIR KYFFIN WILLIAMS, RA (1918-2006) ‘A HAMLET IN THE HILLS‘
Signed with initials, charcoal and washes 24.5 x 34cm.
Estimate £800 – £1,200

PHILIP RICKMAN - 'OYSTERCATCHERS'

Lot 777: PHILIP RICKMAN (1891-1982) ‘OYSTERCATCHERS‘
Signed and dated 1974, watercolour and gouache 27 x 38cm. Provenance: London, The Tryon Gallery Ltd.
Estimate £300 – £500

JOHN CYRIL HARRISON - 'CURLEW AND PLOVER'

Lot 783: JOHN CYRIL HARRISON (1898-1985) ‘CURLEW AND PLOVER‘
Signed, watercolour and pencil 38 x 55.5cm.
Estimate £800 – £1,200

ANDREW HASLEN - 'STARTLED WOODCOCK'

Lot 796: ANDREW HASLEN (b.1953) ‘STARTLED WOODCOCK‘
Signed and dated 87, oil on canvas, lath frame 101 x 126.5cm.
Estimate £300 – £400

GIORGETTI 'ZENO' DESIGNER DESK & OFFICE CHAIR

Lot 852: GIORGETTI ‘ZENO’ DESIGNER DESK & OFFICE CHAIR
A designer desk designed by Massimo Scolari for Giorgetti, made in maccasar ebony and beech and supported on two uprights with opposing legs with metal detailing. Also with a matching office chair with adjustable back and black leather seat. Both with makers plaques for Giorgetti, designed by Massimo Scolari, and serial numbers. Desk 161cms by 80cms, 73cms high, Chair 89cms high.
*This was purchased at Harrods some years ago.
Estimate £800 – £1,200

PAIR OF BAUHAUS STYLE ARMCHAIRS & MATCHING STOOL

Lot 854: PAIR OF BAUHAUS STYLE ARMCHAIRS & MATCHING STOOL
A pair of armchairs after a design by Thonet, with wooden arms and a tubular chrome frame, with leopard print upholstery and with a matching stool. Armchairs 79cms high. (3)
Estimate £400 – £600

G PLAN ROOM DIVIDER - MID CENTURY

Lot 860: G PLAN ROOM DIVIDER – MID CENTURY
A large teak room divider, the top section with a drop down flap and glass shelf, and various shaped shelves supported on vertical metal supports. The bottom section with a two door cupboard and three drawers, supported on turned legs and cross stretcher. 182cms high, 122cms across.
Estimate £150 – £250

'BARGET' MID CENTURY COCKTAIL BAR

Lot 869: ‘BARGET’ MID CENTURY COCKTAIL BAR
A semi circular retro cocktail bar, supported on three small tapering legs. With original makers label, Barget, London. 99.5cms high
Estimate £50 – £100

LARGE WHITEFRIARS 'DRUNKEN BRICKLAYER' VASE

Lot 879: LARGE WHITEFRIARS ‘DRUNKEN BRICKLAYER’ VASE
In the tangerine colourway and designed by Geoffrey Baxter, Model No 9672 and made from 1969-1974. 32.5cms high
Estimate £400 – £600

WHITEFRIARS - LARGE DRUNKEN BRICKLAYER VASE

Lot 880: WHITEFRIARS – LARGE DRUNKEN BRICKLAYER VASE
A large textured glass vase designed by Geoffrey Baxter, Pattern No 9672 and in the Kingfisher Blue colourway. Issued from 1969-1974, 33cms high
Estimate £400 – £600

WEDGWOOD RAVILIOUS MUG - EDWARD VIII

Lot 921: WEDGWOOD RAVILIOUS MUG – EDWARD VIII
An unusual mug designed by Eric Ravilious for Wedgwood to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VIII in 1937, with a couple of cracks, 10.5cms high. Also with a Edward VIII commemorative spoon. (2)
Estimate £100 – £150

LARGE SLIPWARE DISH

Lot 997: LARGE SLIPWARE DISH
Probably 19thc, with trails of yellow slip on a dark brown ground and with a notched rim (33cms diameter). Also with a large slipware jug with white slip on dark brown glaze (22.5cms high), two similar tankards (12cms high), a large medieval style jug (29cms high), and a replica of a slipware posset pot (16cms high). (6)
Estimate £150 – £250

CHINESE SILK JACKET & MATCHING SKIRT

Lot 1046: CHINESE SILK JACKET & MATCHING SKIRT
Late 19thc or early 20thc, the red silk jacket with a pale green lining and cross over fastening and gilt metal buttons. The ivory silk cuffs, hem, and shaped facings are heavily embroidered with butterflies, birds and bats and a variety of flowers, and edged with an embroidered border of blue silk. With a matching pleated skirt. Jacket 91cms high, Skirt 93cms high. (2)
Estimate £300 – £500