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Jersey cow and calf by Edwin Douglas. |
This website, created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, and U.K.
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Jersey cow and calf by Edwin Douglas. |
IRIS FROM JERSEY
Copyright Valerie Martin 2000
Text first published in Along the Furlong in July 2000.
Please note that I cannot enter into correspondence on valuations of paintings nor advise on where best to sell items.
At the end of the nineteenth century Edwin Douglas lived at Fox Down in Findon, and I have been intrigued to learn that he kept cattle in enclosures on the Downs adjacent to the house. The animals were brought into the studio as "models" for his paintings. But his love affair with Jersey cattle had started much earlier in life.
In 1875 Edwin Douglas painted "Alderneys (Mother and Daughter)". This was sold for £315, which was a good sum in those days. Sir Henry Tate then presented it in 1894 to the Tate Gallery in London. By the 1990s this painting was housed in the archives of the Tate and when seen was sadly in a rather faded condition.
Edwin established a small Home Farm of his own at Lawbrook House in Surrey before he came to live in Findon. In 1882, at the age of 34, he was highly delighted when he gained a "Reserve" and a "Highly Commended" at the Bath and West of England Show at Guildford for one of his pure-bred Jerseys.
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"A Jersey Trio" painted by Edwin Douglas in 1886. Exhibited at the Institute of Oil Colours. |
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Head study of the Jersey cow named "Iris" painted in 1877 by Edwin Douglas and entitled "The Lawbrook Pet". She was bred by Albert Le Gallais of La Moye and was the first cow Edwin Douglas brought from Jersey, Channel Islands. This painting sold for £4,600 in January 2004. |
In 1987 I have found that a small painting of a cow was purchased at an auction sale and the buyer discovered a sealed envelope attached to the back of the frame.
The new owner was surprised when he opened it to find the following letter on faded paper written by Edwin Douglas' eldest son —
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5 David Place November 3, 1927.
To Dr. C. Noble, Le Brocq, 11 Midvale Road. I should be very glad if you would kindly accept the enclosed little picture, a reproduction from the original oil painting by my late father of the first cow he ever brought from Jersey to England. "Iris" was bred by the late Albert Le Gallais, of La Moye, who was a great friend of my father, and the picture was painted, I believe, nearly 50 years ago. As far as I know, my father was about the only artist to paint Jersey cattle and his Royal Academy pictures of Jersey subjects about the years 1875 to 1880 made such propaganda for the beautiful little Jerseys as to create a great demand for them in England and the U.S.A. — so much so that the English Jersey Cattle Society elected my father a life member in recognition of his services in promoting the popularity of the breed. I therefore think that as a Jerseyman you may be interested in the subject. William Bruce Douglas. |
Edwin Douglas was indeed elected an Honorary Member of the English Jersey Cattle Society and this was at the proposal of the Earl of Rosslyn. I have always believed that this must have been for his services in connection with the popularisation of the breed by his paintings. Also for designing a medal for the Society. Edwin Douglas was also a member of the Royal Agricultural Society of England and the Hackney Horse Society (proposed and nominated by Earl Cathcart).
There is always a story attached to every painting and none less so than "Iris".
Edwin and Christiana Douglas's first visit to the Channel Island of Jersey to see Albert Le Gallais at his farm was made in August 1876. They were determined to see for themselves the Jersey cattle in their own environment.
The sea trip in those days took them eleven hours but at last the island came into view. They passed the Corbière Rocks and lighthouse and their boat anchored as close to land as was practicable. It was a dull day and the artist and his wife were somewhat amused when they were rowed ashore in a boat containing a priest and two sisters of mercy. These ladies fumbled with their beads and muttered their paternosters as a streak of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a loud crash of thunder that heralded their approach to Jersey.
Edwin and Christiana loved the island at first sight. The same wild flowers grew in abundance by the wayside as in Surrey, and rarer plants flourished in what seemed like tropical profusion.
They were conveyed to St. Brelade's Bay by pony and trap, and on arrival they took possession of their "hotel" accommodation — the rooms were far from expectations and not very luxurious to say the least. The "hotel" they had booked for a month was in reality a run-down inn. The couple found the climate rather hot and dusty, as there had not been any rain on the island since April.
Edwin possessed a letter of introduction to the Jersey farmer and they eagerly called upon him. Albert Le Gallais met them most courteously and proudly introduced them to his herd, of various coloured cattle.
Edwin was immediately fascinated by a silver-grey cow and fell in love with her. She was nineteen years old with spectacularly fine horns. These appendages were so long from her great age as to hang down nearly to her nose. The grand old lady had provided Albert Le Gallais with seventeen calves, and was still giving a small supply of very rich milk the colour of cream. Edwin enquired her future and was sad when the farmer replied that she was too old to breed again. He was, in fact, going to sell her to the butcher. Edwin intervened and said he would like to buy her at the butcher's price. It was his intention to bring Iris back to his Surrey studio. He already had in his mind "The Jersey Family" depicting the old cow licking the back of her calf, and behind, half in dim shadow two more cows being milked. A bargain was struck for the transportation of Iris back to England.
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The above painting was executed by Edwin and he named it after one of the Channel Islands — Herm.
The next project during their Jersey visit was to obtain some suitable milking-cans as props for Edwin's paintings. The artist purchased some shiny new cans in a shop in St. Helier, although he had a hankering for some more authentic farming utensils. It then occurred to him that during their stay on the island they had made the acquaintance of a fisherman-cum-farmer and his wife. They surprised the couple one morning when they arrived on their doorstep. The question was, would the farmer's wife exchange her rust-stained and much used milking-cans for the bright new ones? Actually, she was highly delighted at the proposition and thought that Edwin and Christiana had come off decidedly worse as they walked away with her old tins.
During their Jersey visit, Edwin was rather taken by the Jersey cabbage and made several studies of them. They grew to the height of a palm tree and he had seen nothing like them before. He brought some seeds back to England and had no trouble in growing them to about fifteen feet high in his Surrey garden.
Deciding not to stay the full month at their tumbledown "hotel" at St. Brelade, Edwin and Christiana returned to Lawbrook House in Surrey — with Iris the Jersey cow.
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Evangeline's Odyssey c.1888. |
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"Jersey Gems" painted in 1892 by Edwin Douglas. |
"Jersey Gems" was executed for Sir James Blyth, Bart, the eminent agriculturist.
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In March 2003, yet another of Edwin's work turned up in Kentucky. This was a print of Jersey Mothers — also hitherto unseen by me.
It was sent to me by Nancy Parker who told me that her 74-year own friend had owned the print for some 50 years. It had previously been hanging for years in a court house in Corbin in Kentucky. When the court house was being remodelled, the print was going to be thrown away and as a young man he took it home with him.....
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It is a painting of the Douglas' first born calf, and they named it "Grasshopper". When nearly a year old, Grasshopper was sold to a friend for twelve guineas. The friend reaped just doubled that price a year later for her when he in turn the animal on.
Her mother (Iris) was exhibited at the Royal Show at Reading. Owing to her being not "in profit", she was disqualified from taking a prize, though she elicited some good notices in the various agricultural papers for her finely shaped body and horns, also her typical Jersey head.
Her portrait was very frequently painted, and it is she who stands placidly chewing the cud in the foreground of the above "Jersey Mothers".
A younger daughter of Iris gained laurels for the Douglas' herd by taking Reserve Number and Highly Commended Card in that strong class at the Bath and West of England when it held its meeting at Guildford in 1882. There were forty-three heifers in the class.
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1894 — "In The Grip of the Frost King" was painted by Edwin Douglas two years after he had moved to Findon. |
The above wintry scene of Highland cattle was later published by the Autotype Company as "Ancient Britons". This was the companion picture of The Vikings painted in 1898 depicting three Shetland ponies in the snow — also with a large black bird.
 Another view of Highland Cattle by Edwin Douglas. Date unknown. |
 1898 — Vikings by Edwin Douglas |
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Another oil painting of Highland cattle drinking by Edwin Douglas. Title unknown. |
In 1905 Edwin Douglas painted "Frost and Fog", another study of Highland cattle. The "models" for these paintings were the Highland cattle kept on the South Downs beside Fox Down where he lived.
Continue if you would like to read about Edwin Douglas' The Channel Island Series.
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 |
