This website, created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.
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"Geordie Sits in Charlie's Chair" painted by Edwin Douglas in 1871, some twenty-three years before he moved to live in Findon on the South Downs. |
DOGS IN ART
Copyright Valerie Martin 2000
Please note that I cannot enter into correspondence on valuations of paintings nor advise on where best to sell items.
I thought that there must be a story behind such a painting — and there was. Edwin Douglas painted the pug in 1870 to represent King George II. The disdainful dog is perched on a regal-looking chair with an ermine-lined robe hanging from it, and a royal crown on the back. The pug looks down over a little King Charles spaniel crouching below with a bow of Stuart tartan round its neck
The painting is best described by the Jacobite Ballad — Geordie (King George II) and Charlie (Bonnie Prince, Charles Edward Stuart) —
Geordie sits in Charlie's chair,
Bonny laddie, Highland laddie;
Deil tak' him gin he sit there,
My bonny laddie, Highland laddie;
Charlie yet shall mount the throne,
Bonny laddie, Highland laddie —
Weel ye ken it is his own,
My bonny laddie, Highland laddie.
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Another pug painted by Edwin Douglas. |
A letter and a rose appear to be on the ground and this obviously meant something at the time the picture was painted. The envelope is franked and addressed to a young lady by the name of Gladys at 33 Portland Road, London W.
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Entitled "Study of a Pug" by Edwin Douglas. |
A clue to this picture may be on the label behind the dog. This reads "Castor Oil. Glass With Care. Mr. Henry Legge, M.R.C.V.S."
I have found that this portrayal was auctioned during Crufts Week in February 1983 and, at that time, expected to fetch £4,200.
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Described as a "Brush painting" by Edwin Douglas. The handwritten date is 1873. The framed date is 1874. |
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"Cosy Corner" painted in 1880 by Edwin Douglas. |
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Oil painting 50 in. x 65 in. by Findon artist, Edwin Douglas. Entitled "The First of September" and dated 1871, exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy when Edwin Douglas was only 23. In recent years this was auctioned by Christie's in the Channel Islands at an asking price of between £15,000 - £20,000. |
Edwin Douglas painted a smaller, autographed version of the above painting for Queen Victoria to give as a Birthday present to the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII 1901-10).
This was duly hung at Marlborough House in 1877. "It is no longer in the Royal Collection and was given away earlier in the century" — from correspondence between Charles Noble, Assistant to the Surveyor of the Queen's pictures and Valerie Martin in February 1996.
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"Train up a Child in the Way He Should Go" painted by Edwin Douglas. |
"Train up a Child" was painted in 1889 and purchased for the National Gallery in New South Wales.
In the same year, Edwin received a commission to paint "Tiny" a small mongrel owned by Lady Eliot Drake of Nutwell Court. Tiny had quite a story to tell if only he could have related it. He had come into Lady Drake's possession when she was staying in Malta, having been brought to that island by some sailors in a vessel from Rio. Although, in fact, very small, the dog had great intelligence and enormous pluck as many small canines have. Alas, he was not best loved by the gamekeepers at Nutwell Court, on account of his active pastime of hunting their game and rabbits.
In consequence of the latter, and to give the correct idea of Tiny's diminutive size, Edwin decided to paint the little mongrel standing over a rabbit. When the picture was finally finished it was delivered to Nutwell Court. Lady Eliot Drake was thrilled to bits and showed just about everyone. Eventually it was the head-keeper's turn and Lady Eliot Drake, expected he would marvel at her little pet's likeness and be as pleased as she was. He stood and looked at it and she thought he was studying the imagine of Tiny until he turned to her and said "Ma'am, it's a beautiful portrait of a rabbit!"
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A life-sized portrait of "Tiny" painted in 1889. |
The painting of Tiny was sent to the Royal Academy in 1891 and it is said obtained a capital place in the line as did so many of Edwin's works.
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In 1891 Edwin Douglas painted his "Venus and the Hounds of Adonis". |
In 1592 William Shakespeare's poem "Venus and Adonis" was published.
"And here she meets another sadly scowling,
To whom she speaks, and he replies with howling" — Shakespeare.
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"The First Sorrow" painted by Edwin Douglas in 1889. |
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Charles O'Brien who lives in Bury, West Sussex sent me this image of one of Edwin Douglas' paintings in January 2003..
The painting is coming up for auction at Bonhams in March 2003. It is signed with initials.
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by Edwin Douglas |
This somewhat ferocious little Cairn Terrier in a red armchair was the subject at a Christie's Sale on the 14th February 1990. It was estimated to sell for between £700 - £1,000 and eventually sold, I am told, for £3,520.
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"Judy" was painted in 1880. |
Just before Christmas 2001, Charles O'Brien from nearby Bury
sent me the above oil painting on canvas by Edwin Douglas.
It is signed with Edwin's monogram and is inscribed "To WW. Judy.
Painted in 3 hours". The size is 24 in. x 20 in. (61 cm x 51 cm).
Charles was connected with Bonhams & Brook in Knightsbridge
London and wondered if anyone out there would be interested in purchasing
"Judy". She came under the hammer in their Dogs in Art on
12th February 2002 at 1 p.m. Lot No. 366.
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Click on image to enlarge Here's another Edwin Douglas masterpiece .... entitled "Waiting for Master". |
The Findon artist hit the headlines again, ninety years after his death, on 27th November 2003. This was when Christie's sale at South Kensington, London, led the field of pre-Christmas sales with sporting art and canines.
A fox terrier waiting patiently for his master and holding his kid glove came out top and was thought highly enough of to be depicted on the front cover of the catalogue. The painting was by none other than Findon's Edwin Douglas.
The reserve on this work was put at £4,000/£6,000 and the Douglas art work finally went for £25,850. The successful bidder being from across the pond, a private American collector buying over the phone and not even present to view the fox terrier.
Continue if you would like to read about Edwin Douglas Crossing the Border.
Back to Edwin
James Douglas Index
This is Findon — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.
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E-mail: valeriemartin@findonvillage.com |
