This charming 19th-century oil painting by British artist Walter Heath Williams (fl.1841-1876) depicts a pastoral scene with cattle, pond, and figure.
Under a blissful sky with occasional drifting clouds, several cattle graze and take water. It’s summer, perhaps in Devon, and the air is punctuated only by the lilting dance of birdsong. A shepherd looks on, casting his eyes towards a distant coppice. His domain is harmonious.
Produced at a time of ever-advancing Victorian industry, Williams’ idyllic views reminisce about a simpler age of rural bliss. His rose-tinted visions celebrate the enduring love within families, the glory of nature and a slower, more considered, way of life.
Signed in the lower right and held within a splendid scroll and foliate frame. Previously one of a pair sold through Phillips auction, London, in 1996 for £4,000.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 31” x 23” / 79cm x 59cm
Year of creation: c. 1870
Labels & Inscriptions: Auction stencil, p
...robably from Phillips, London.
Provenance: Private collection, England.
Condition: Artwork presents well. Craquelure but the paint is stable. Minor bulge in canvas. Frame with some light wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £15,400
Walter Heath Williams was a British artist predominantly known for gentle rolling views of Devon and Cornwall. Details of his life are scant despite the fact he exhibited regularly for over 20 years at the Royal Academy. He’s often confused with Walter Williams (1834-1906) who was a member of the Williams family of painters but their approach was quite different. He lived in Bath, Torquay and Topsham, Devon but, despite an extensive search, the ancestry records yield no results. With this in mind, it’s possible that he (or she) was working under a pseudonym.
Learn more about Walter Heath Williams in our directory.
Antique ID Number (AIDN): SA1036949
Dateline of this antique is 1870
Height is 59cm (23.2inches)Width is 79cm (31.1inches)Depth is 7cm (2.8inches)
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