Lot Essay
Another version of this picture was made into a Transport for London poster.
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PROPERTY OF A LADY (Lots 106-109)Born in Canada in 1862, James Kerr-Lawson spent much of his time travelling throughout Europe, entering circles from the Glasgow Boys to Whistler’s entourage in Paris. It was through the artist George Frederick Watts that Lawson met the architect Christopher Hatton Turnor, who designed the Watts Gallery in 1903-4. Turnor had recently inherited a large estate in Lincolnshire, and in 1906 he commissioned Kerr-Lawson to design a series of mural decorations for Stoke Rochford Hall, the first such murals that he'd undertaken.The Stoke Rochford murals inspired Lord Aldenham to commission his own set of panels for an octagonal room in Aldenham House. The four paintings included here were part of a group of seven London scenes chosen by Aldenham and Lawson, painted on canvas and then set into the walls. The pictures show a clear interest in the effects of light and tone, as well as a strong eye for architectural detail, later inspiring a series of lithographs and posters. Sadly Lord Aldenham died in 1907 whilst the panels were being installed, although they continued to remain in situ until the estate was sold in 1932 after the death of the Hon. Vicary Gibbs.
James Kerr-Lawson (1862-1939)
St Martin-in-the-Fields
Details
James Kerr-Lawson (1862-1939)
St Martin-in-the-Fields
oil on canvas
80 ¾ x 56 ½ in. (205.1 x 143.6 cm.)
St Martin-in-the-Fields
oil on canvas
80 ¾ x 56 ½ in. (205.1 x 143.6 cm.)
Provenance
Commissioned by Henry Hucks Gibbs, Lord Aldenham (1819-1907), Aldenham House, Hertfordshire, and by descent in the family.
Literature
H. Charlesworth, 'The Pictures of J. Kerr-Lawson', Saturday Night, 20 June 1914, p. 4.
'Aldenham House, Hertfordshire, The Residence of The Hon. Vicary Gibbs', Country Life, 23 February 1924, p. 289, illustrated p. 286.
R.J. Lamb, James Kerr-Lawson: A Canadian Abroad, exhibition catalogue, Toronto, 1983, pp. 22-24, illustrated p. 38.
'Aldenham House, Hertfordshire, The Residence of The Hon. Vicary Gibbs', Country Life, 23 February 1924, p. 289, illustrated p. 286.
R.J. Lamb, James Kerr-Lawson: A Canadian Abroad, exhibition catalogue, Toronto, 1983, pp. 22-24, illustrated p. 38.
Exhibited
Canada, Guelph, Macdonald Stewart Art Centre; Ontario, Art Gallery of Windsor; Toronto, Art Gallery of Ontario; Burnaby, B.C., Burnaby Art Gallery; Calgary, Alberta, Glenbow Museum; Frederiction, N.B., Beaverbrook Art Gallery, James Kerr-Lawson: A Canadian Abroad, 12 February 1983 - 15 February 1984, no. 36.
Brought to you by
Sarah Reynolds