Circle of William Egley (1798–1870), English School
Subject & Medium
Circle of William Egley (1798–1870), English School
Watercolour and gouache on paper laid on panel.
An exceptionally refined family portrait showing the three daughters of Louisa Charlotte Devonsher (née Cooke, 1797–1871), the only child of Captain John Cooke, RN, one of the two British captains killed at the Battle of Trafalgar. Almost certainly painted for the family home, Donhead Lodge, Donhead St Andrew, Wiltshire, it is both an intimate record of domestic affection and a visual monument to one of Britain’s great naval heroes.
Composition & Technique
The three girls are gracefully arranged around a richly carved mahogany scroll-back sofa upholstered in rose-crimson damask, their poses forming a harmonious triangular composition.
The youngest child, about three years old, sits at the centre on the sofa cushion, her rounded features and deeper cornflower-blue gown suggesting tender youth and spo
...ntaneity. To the left, a sister of nine or ten sits demurely, hands folded in her lap, her dress a paler sky-blue; to the right, the eldest (around eleven or twelve) stands easily but proudly at the sofa arm in a more saturated periwinkle tone, her posture quietly authoritative.
All three wear pale blue silk gowns trimmed with fine white lace. The two elder sisters are adorned with blue ribbon chokers bearing small gold lockets and coral bead bracelets, while the youngest, unadorned, embodies the ideal of unspoiled childhood. Each girl holds a blush-pink rose, petals shaded from shell pink to soft carmine; these roses echo the crimson upholstery and rhythmically tie the colour scheme together.
Executed in transparent watercolour with delicate gouache heightening, the artist has modelled the faces with translucent pinks and warm ochres, and the hair in chestnut and golden curls. The neutral brown-grey ground is almost abstract in its simplicity, pushing the figures gently forward and bathing them in a soft, natural light. The handling is confident yet restrained – a textbook example of the English provincial watercolour school at the transition from the late Regency to the early Victorian period.
About the Sitters & Captain John Cooke
The sitters are identified as the three daughters of Louisa Charlotte Devonsher (née Cooke) and her husband Abraham Devonsher of Cheltenham:
Louisa Cornelia Devonsher (b. c.1822; later Mrs Edward Helsham)
Augusta Sarah Devonsher (b. c.1823; later Mrs Edward Rolles)
Sophia Margaret Devonsher (b. c.1830; later Mrs Robert Dwarris Gibney)
Through their mother, these girls were the granddaughters and only direct descendants of Captain John Cooke, RN (1762–1805) and his wife Louisa Hardy (1764–1853).
Born in Devon to a family of landowners and shipowners, John Cooke entered the navy under the patronage of Sir Alexander Hood and was educated at Mr Braken’s Naval Academy, Greenwich. He saw service in the American War of Independence (including the Battles of Rhode Island and the Saintes), and in the French Revolutionary Wars commanded the frigates HMS Nymphe and HMS Amethyst.
In 1805 he was appointed to the 74-gun HMS Bellerophon. At Trafalgar, on 21 October 1805, Cooke fought a fierce close-quarters action with the French Aigle and was mortally wounded by musket fire. He reputedly gave the defiant order “Don’t strike the colours” as he fell – a phrase that passed into naval legend. When his body was searched, an unsent letter was found in his pocket, affectionately mentioning his young daughter Louisa Charlotte and the family dog, Mr Quiz – a fragment of domestic tenderness preserved amid the carnage of battle.
In recognition of his sacrifice, Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund presented his widow Louisa Hardy Cooke with a large silver vase and a pension of £200 per annum, while Louisa Charlotte received a gold medal and a pension of £50 pe
Delivery shipping information
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD ship worldwide, using fully insured and online tracked delivery services like DHL, DPD, Parcelforce or Fedex also the British Shop. We offer Free national Delivery to England mainland, Wales mainland & Scottish lowland mainland areas only.
We offer Free UK mainland delivery only, international shipping to USA, Canada, Europe. All other countries rest of the world please get in touch for a shipping quote.
Great care and much time are taken over the safe transportation of the Fine Art & Antique pieces which we sell.
We bespoke pack & wrap extremely carefully, so you can rest assured that your piece will arrive with you in great as described condition.
For larger paintings, antique furniture pieces, and fragile items which can not be sent via the normal postal services, we use professional door-to-door delivery providers, who will always strive to deliver your piece promptly, within approximate. 2-5 working days for the United Kingdom mainland & International delivery between 5-14 working days.
Returns Policy
We offer a 14-day money-back refund policy
(excluding the cost of Postage & Packaging costs & any duties, taxes customs charges paid on buyers behalf or buy the buyer direct ).
CONTACT US:
Please feel free to call us.
We have a friendly & professional team on hand who are here to help you with any queries you may have.
Tel: 07494763382
Outside the UK:
Phone or text: 0044 7494763382
PAYMENT:
Our primary payment method is by (BACS) & International bank wire transfer, we can email you an invoice with our banking details upon request. We no longer accept any Online Card or in person card payments due to payment providers charging us and not returning the processing transaction fee even if an order is fraudulent, cancelled or returned. All Item(s) will need to be settled by bank transfer only. We will email you a proforma invoice with our bank details.
Customs Payment & Brexit
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD operates on a Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU) basis which means that the International buyer is responsible for any import duties, taxes & customs clearance charges and any other customs charges which may be necessary to release an order from international customs.
Following the UK leaving the EU on 1st January 2021 (BREXIT) there have been some changes to customs & duty charges for EU customers. Tax and import duty varies from country to country so we recommend you check with your local tax office to see if any fees will be payable.
If the customer refuses to pay any duty and customs charges and the parcel is returned to sender all shipping charges will be deducted from any refund.
Internal Reference: 752
Antique ID Number (AIDN): SA1180810
Dateline of this antique is 19th Century
Height is 38cm (15.0inches)Width is 42cm (16.5inches)Depth is 2.5cm (1.0inches)
Your credit card is processed securely by Stripe Inc. 
Thank you.
Your comment has been sent to Sellingantiques.