Designer Desire: Charles Spencelayh

Charles Spencelayh (1865-1958) was an English painter of portraits and humble domestic scenes. It’s the latter subject that I find I can pour over for ages, just studying all the mundane objects that are painted in great detail.

For instance, a spent match discarded on a floor, envelopes & letters stashed behind a picture hanging on a wall, a collection of mismatched china on a shelf, a glass case containing taxidermy or a painting within the painting.

Here’s an observation made by Aubrey Noakes in his 1978 book, Charles Spencelayh and his Paintings. The author could just as easily have written these comments in 2018:

Much of Spencelayh’s work now appears to me to possess a nostalgic quality about it. The agreeable clutter of inherited possessions, common enough in most households early this century, and even between the wars, is becoming more and more of a memory as people find themselves crammed into flats and pressured into the purchase of modern purpose-built furniture.

Spencelayh first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1892 (he exhibited more than 70 paintings here over his life), initially showing portrait miniatures of women. He was one of the founder members of the Royal Society of Miniature Painters.

It was only years later that he began painting his more recognisable lone elderly men in living quarters and workshops.

In the early 1920s Spencelayh was ‘discovered’ by a Mr. Joseph Nissim Levy, a Manchester cotton merchant who’d bought a painting of his entitled Cinderella while holidaying in Harrogate, Yorkshire. Levy and his wife, Rose had previously viewed other works by Spencelayh at the Royal Academy, but they’d already sold.

An Academy exhibition attendant furnished Levy with Spencelayh’s home address and that’s how the relationship between the artist and his patron began. After a while, Levy offered Spencelayh and his wife a house in Manchester rent-free and also offered to double the amount of money Mr. Spencelayh was earning at the time.

Levy enjoyed watching Spencelayh work and suggested several Jewish subjects for him to paint. These consequent works sold successfully. Levy also commissioned portraits of his family members and arranged for 23 of his paintings to be exhibited at the Midland Hotel in Manchester. However, it was the patron’s purchase of several of the artist’s important paintings for sums as high as £600 and £700 that was most valuable to the latter.

Charles Spencelayh had a few other prominent fans including Evelyn Waugh and Queen Mary; the latter for whom he painted a miniature portrait of her husband, King George V to go into her dolls’ house.

There are 176 examples of Spencelayh’s work in the permanent collection of the Guildhall Museum in Rochester – the artist’s birthplace.

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Additional image credits:
Sotheby’s

Auction alert: Autumn Fine Art Sales

Coming up soon are Lawrences Auctioneers in Crewkerne’s Autumn Fine Art Sales, October 2022. There are a total of 1,408 lots being sold over four days, so we’re concentrating on day two which is Pictures, 19^th/20^th Century Design & Ceramics. It takes place on Wednesday 12^th October 2022 from 10am.

As usual, we’ve selected a handful of items that stood out to us; fine art paintings, studio pottery, vintage furniture. Two lots, in particular, we chose because of their importance in the social history of the UK.

First, is a very nondescript looking teacup & saucer. They’re marked with the logo of the British Antarctic Expedition, Terra Nova. This was an ill-fated trip led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, an attempt be the first to ever reach the geographic South Pole. A group from Norway beat them to their destination by over a month. All 5 men on the British team died on the return leg of the journey.

Second, is a blue & white transfer printed teapot. It’s decorated with anti-slavery text. On two sides is printed, ‘Ladies I hope you will make free and tell me how you like your tea’. On the inside you’ll find the maxim, ‘Health to the sick, Honour to the brave, Success to the lover, and Freedom to the slave’. A very forthright message to be subtly shared by a 19^th century society hostess with her lady friends who are visiting for tea and sandwiches.

Lot 465: BERNARD BUFFET (1928-1999). IRONS (Sorlier 13)
Colour lithograph, 1955, signed and numbered 276/300  48 x 69.5cm approx.
Condition: A few faint grazes within image; some handling creases; needs a light clean.
Estimate: £200 – £300

Lot 502: JOHN BROMFIELD ‘BROM’ GAY-REES (1912-1965). STILL LIFE WITH WINE BOTTLE, FRUIT AND A BOOK
Signed and dated 15.X.53, oil on canvas board . 34.5 x 45cm.  Provenance: The family of the artist
Condition: Good condition.
Estimate: £300 – £500

Lot 562: PETER BROOK (1927-2009) – ‘PENNINE VALLEY OF WHITE FARMS’
Signed, inscribed with title, oil on canvas  30 x 38cm.  Provenance: London, Thos. Agnew & Sons Ltd (stock 43684).
Condition: A few small spattered marks.
Estimate: £12,000 – £18,000

Lot 571: SIR KYFFIN WILIAMS, OBE, RA (1918-2006) – ‘PEN Y BRYN’
Signed with initials, inscribed with title in ballpoint pen on the overlap, oil on canvas, hand painted frame  50 x 60cm.
Condition: Needs a very light clean.
Estimate: £16,000 – £20,000

Lot 650: ARKANA – RETRO ‘MUSHROOM’ CHAIRS & MATCHING TABLE
A pair of ‘Mushroom’ shaped black chairs designed by Maurice Burke, with conical shaped bases and orange cushions. Also with a matching conical shaped table. Chairs stamped ‘Arkana, Bath, GB, Des Reg No 937057 & 937288, Process Pat Pending. Chairs 77cms high, Table 53cms high, 45cms diameter.
Condition: Age related wear as you would expect over time.
Estimate: £100 – £150

Lot 652: ARTS & CRAFTS ORKNEY CHAIR
An antique stained pine chair with a curved woven back, the chair with scroll arms and a drop in woven and wooden seat. 107cms high, top of the chair 62cms across.
Condition: The rush seat is a little worn and needs a little work, otherwise in pretty good condition for its age.
Estimate: £200 – £300

Lot 662: DAME LUCIE RIE (AUSTRIAN/BRITISH 1902-1995) – PORCELAIN FOOTED BOWL
A porcelain footed bowl with a turquoise glaze and manganese drip effect rim, with a straight foot and unglazed footrim. Seal mark to the base, Diameter 13.5cms, 10.5cms high.  *Artist Resale Rights applies to this lot.
Condition: Condition is good, rings nicely and no noticeable chips or damages. There is a couple of letters on the base, I think from a security pen in case of theft.
Estimate: £5,000 – £7,000

Lot 658: ALAN WALLWORK (BRITISH 1931-2019) – LARGE STUDIO POTTERY VASE
A large ‘Pebble’ vase with curved sides and small aperture to the top section. Incised mark to the base ‘AW’, and with original paper label ‘Alan Wallwork Ceramics, Tel Lyme Regis 2756’. 30cms high  *This lot qualifies for Artists Resale Rights.
Condition:Generally seems fine, small firing crack to the inside and base of the vase from manufacture.
Estimate: £400 – £600

Lot 737: PETER LAYTON (B 1937) – LARGE CONTEMPORARY GLASS VASE, 2006
A large heart shaped glass vase with small aperture, the ruby red glass with stripes of blue and yellow. Etched mark, ‘Peter Layton, 2006’. 25cms high, 28cms across  *Artists Resale Rights applies to this lot.
Condition: Generally good, the odd minor scratch and some wear to the base.
Estimate: £200 – £300

Lot 797: 19^THC BLUE & WHITE TRANSFER PRINTED TEA KETTLE – ANTI SLAVERY
An interesting large blue and tea kettle, with a verse on each side ‘Ladies I hope you will make free and tell me how you like your tea’, and with a motto inside ‘Health to the sick, Honour to the brave, Success to the lover, and Freedom to the slave’. With a transfer printed design with animals and figures within a landscape scene, the lid with the initials ‘W H’ on the inside, possibly for William Hackwood. 27cms high.
Condition: Lid, small area to the rim repaired, small chip to underneath the finial. Tea kettle, area of restoration at the base of the spout as it joins the body, this restoration is more visible inside right around the hole. Firing crack on the inside of the spout visible inside.
Estimate: £100 – £200

Lot 800: BRITISH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION ‘TERRA NOVA’ – CUP & SAUCER BY DUNN BENNETT & CO.
A rare matching earthenware cup and saucer, made for the wardroom of the Terra Nova. Both with a crest marked ‘British Antarctic Expedition, Terra Nova’ and with a penguin standing on a rock, and with a blue border around the rim. Printed mark to the base, ‘Real Ironstone China, Dunn Bennett & Co, Burslem, England’. Saucer 14cms diameter.
Condition: Saucer, star crack to the base and crazing to the centre. Cup, 3 hairline cracks running from the rim downwards, general crazing.
Estimate: £400 – £600

Auction alert: September Fine Art & Antique auction

Trevanion & Dean‘s September Fine Art & Antique auction takes place on Wednesday 14^th September 2022 from 9am. A total of 761 lots are up for sale, we’ve picked out a dozen below that we like and thought you would too.

There’s a good mix of vintage & antique jewellery, fine art, furniture and other quality collectables. If you’re a James Bond fan, there are a number of 1st edition, hardback books by Ian Fleming. Lots of pretty jewellery – of course, I had to include a little Art Deco something here. I’ve been on the look out for vintage ceramic storage jars; in particular – raisins, currants and sultanas. I can never find a matching trio… but these for sale here are in T G Green’s blue – not a colourway I want. My search continues!

Bid via the Trevanion website where you’ll be charged a buyer’s commission charge of 20% + VAT plus an additional 2% + VAT. Alternatively, you can bid via The Saleroom or EasyLiveAuction. Please check each website for their added bidding fees.
As far as the auction house’s shipping policy goes, this is what they state:

Trevanion Auctioneers offer a limited in-house P&P service for small, non-breakable items during the 2 days following the auction only. We use Royal Mail Special Delivery for goods up to a value of £2000 weighing no more than 2kg.

Lot 97: An Art Deco diamond, sapphire and emerald bow brooch
The central round old cut diamond weighing approximately 0.20 – 0.25 carats, bezel set with a bow shaped surround set with old cut diamonds, interspersed by baguette cut sapphires and emeralds, all set in white metal, with hinged and safety loop fastening to reverse, 65mm wide, weight 10.7gms (at fault)
Estimate £300 – £500

Lot 152: Classic Stable Ltd Rolls-Royce chrome decanter
In the form of a radiator, ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ mascot fitted to the screw top, label to base numbered ‘RGC B339’, 24.5cm high
Estimate £200 – £300

Lot 263: After Rosemary Myers (British, 20th century), “The geese are getting fat”
Limited edition woodblock print on paper, unsigned, numbered “35/100”, 18cm x 24.5cm, framed and glazed
Estimate £50 – £100

Lot 273: JAMES BOND INTEREST: Fleming (Ian), GOLDFINGER
First edition, first printing, black cloth boards, cover with embossed skull with gold coins to the eyes, gilt title to spine, binding appears to be first state with small additional embossed line to top left of skull, plain white endpapers, original Richard Chopping DJ, unclipped price 15s net, front flap with introductory blurb and Doctor No review, rear flap with reviews for The Diamond Smugglers, back panel with five reviews, Jonathan Cape, London 1959
Estimate £300 – £500

Lot 340: Seven Cornishware jars and covers by Green & Co Ltd
Of typical blue and white striped design, one each for salt, raisins, sultanas, lump sugar, sago, currants and rice, smallest 14.3cm high, largest 16cm high (7) (at fault)
Estimate £60 – £100

Lot 394: Joan Carrillo (Spanish, b.1948), a terracotta vase
Mid-20th century, of ovoid form with narrow neck and flared rim, textured blue and white banded glaze, incised signature to base, 21cm high
Estimate £80 – £120

Lot 410: Tapio Wirkkala (1915 – 1985) for Iittala, a glass vase
Of waisted cylindrical form with etched reeded detail, engraved signature to base, 13cm high
Estimate £100 – £200

Lot 458: An early 20th century domed canvas motoring trunk
Applied with tan leather fittings and trim, opening to a removable tray, 59cm H x 69cm W x 51cm D (at fault)
Estimate £60 – £100

Lot 465: A rustic pine dog cart
Of typical tapering slatted form, upon an articulated front axle and iron bound spoked wooden wheels, carriage length 80cm, total length 190cm, width 70cm
Estimate £100 – £150

Lot 506: An architectural model of a corner shop
20th century, constructed from plywood with strip wood and beading details, the hinged frontage opening to two floors, 32cm W x 33.5cm D x 59.5cm H
Estimate £60 – £100

Lot 744: A Victor V Wilkins for G-Plan 1970’s teak oval coffee table
Astro model 8040, 42cm H x 122cm W x 66cm D
Estimate £100 – £200

Lot 748: Harry Bertoia for Knoll, a set of four black vinyl coated model 420 wirework side chairs
Late 20th/early 21st century, each with a branded seat pad, impressed makers mark to the rear of all chairs, 72cm high (4)
Estimate £400 – £600

Designer Desire: Alfred Daniels

Viewing sale lots for our Auction Alert series, I always happen across artists & designers that I’ve never come across previously.

Born in Trellis Street in Bow, and affectionately referred to as Danny, Alfred Daniels (1924-2015) is sometimes referred to as the Lowry of the East End – although he once quipped, “I’m not really an East Ender, I’m more of a Bow boy”.

With help from his uncle Charlie, he left school early and enrolled in Woolwich Polytechnic to learn sign-writing. He never completed his course, instead – again, thanks to his uncle – got a job as a lettering artist at the Lawrence Danes Studio in Chancery Lane.

When his uncle started up his own studio in Fetter Lane above the Vogue Magazine photo studio, he went to work for him, earning £1 a week. In 1947, Danny was accepted to attend the Royal College of Art. After gaining his 1st class degree there, he stayed on for a further year to study mural design.

In 1954, he completed his five impressive, award-winning murals inside Hammersmith Town Hall and also participated in their conservation in 1983.

I never wanted to be a painter, I wanted to be an illustrator of life… It isn’t enough to make a picture of something – You have to be there, you have to touch it, you have to experience it.

In 1973, he joined the Royal Watercolour Society, followed by the Royal Society of British Artists a decade later. He was also elected keeper of The Royal Society in 1991.

In addition to his many paintings, he illustrated calendars for Oxford University Press and posters for the General Post Office. He often exhibited at the Russell Gallery in Putney. His work is in the permanent collections of The Science Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, Bradford Museums and Galleries and Nottingham City Museums & Galleries.

For a number of years, he taught at Sir John Cass School of Art – nicknamed the ‘Aldgate Bauhaus’ and now the School of Art, Architecture and Design at London Metropolitan University. As well as teaching, he was the author of a number of books about drawing and painting.

The Gentle Author of Spitalfields Life interviewed and wrote about Alfred Daniels on many occasions. Included in the posts are lots of photos of his sketchbooks and studio in his family home in Bedford Park, Chiswick. You can find out more here.

Making a painting is like baking a cake, one slice is for you but the rest is for everyone else.

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Additional image credits:
Mutual Art

H is for Home Harbinger

Tag: fine art

Designer Desire: Charles Spencelayh

Auction alert: Autumn Fine Art Sales

Auction alert: September Fine Art & Antique auction

Designer Desire: Alfred Daniels