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ID #SA1226541
FOR SALE
£2,000
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Joseph H Barnes the Chestnut Seller
For sale by Darnley Fine Art
for sale €2,340     $2,540
£2,000

Darnley Fine Art

Sellingantiques Verified Since Jul 2026
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Id #SA1226541
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Joseph H Barnes the Chestnut Seller

19th century
For Sale by Darnley Fine Art
Description

Brown ink and watercolour, heightened with white, signed lower right

Image size: 18 x 14 1/4 inches (45.75 x 36 cm)

Gilt frame

This is a wonderful watercolour that depicts a debaucherous village town festival, filled with people drinking, celebrating and various other questionable activities. Modern moral subjects were a special kind of genre that was invented by William Hogarth which satirised the manners and morals of the period in which the artist lived. They were particular in their frankness and often biting social satire. Genre painting became hugely popular in the Victorian age and towards the end of the nineteenth century a new focus for genre painting emerged.

Joseph H Barnes

Joseph H Barnes was a London painter of domestic genre scenes in watercolour who exhibited at the Royal Academy, The Royal Society of British Artists, The New Watercolour Society and elsewhere. He exhibited between the years of 1867 and 1887. He was born in Liverpool but lived in London during the time that he was exhibiting. 

Physical Dimensions
Height
40cm (15.75")
Width
52cm (20.47")
Declaration

Darnley Fine Art has dated this Victorian Narrative Watercolour Painting to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1226541
Description
Brown ink and watercolour, heightened with white, signed lower right

Image size: 18 x 14 1/4 inches (45.75 x 36 cm)

Gilt frame

“
This is a wonderful watercolour that depicts a debaucherous village town festival, filled with people drinking, celebrating and various other questionable activities.
Darnley Fine Art

Modern moral subjects were a special kind of genre that was invented by William Hogarth which satirised the manners and morals of the period in which the artist lived. They were particular in their frankness and often biting social satire. Genre painting became hugely popular in the Victorian age and towards the end of the nineteenth century a new focus for genre painting emerged.

fig 1. A framed 19th-century watercolour depicting a man in an overcoat conversing with a female chestnut seller in a gilded frame with a double mount.
fig 1. Joseph H Barnes the Chestnut Seller

Joseph H Barnes

Joseph H Barnes was a London painter of domestic genre scenes in watercolour who exhibited at the Royal Academy, The Royal Society of British Artists, The New Watercolour Society and elsewhere. He exhibited between the years of 1867 and 1887. He was born in Liverpool but lived in London during the time that he was exhibiting. 

Height
40cm (15.75")
Width
52cm (20.47")
Date of Manufacture

Darnley Fine Art has dated this Victorian Narrative Watercolour Painting to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1226541
Darnley Fine Art
Sellingantiques verified Since Jul 2026
Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Darnley Fine Art Profile Page

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A framed 19th-century watercolour depicting a man in an overcoat conversing with a female chestnut seller in a gilded frame with a double mount.
1 / 2
Archive I A framed 19th-century watercolour depicting a man in an overcoat conversing with a female chestnut seller in a gilded frame with a double mount.

Joseph H Barnes the Chestnut Seller

Archive II A framed 19th-century watercolour depicting a man in an overcoat conversing with a female chestnut seller in a gilded frame with a double mount. View II
Enlarged Archival View

Darnley Fine Art
Telephone 0207 379 0499
Location
2-4 Cecil Court
London
WC2N 4HE
United Kingdom

Opening Times
Monday to Saturday: 10:30 - 5:30
(excluding Bank Holidays)
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/dfa
Verified Since Jul 2026
Items For Sale 77
Darnley Fine Art
Verified Since Jul 2026
View Dealer Info
Location: 2-4 Cecil Court, London, WC2N 4HE, United Kingdom, , Opening Times, Monday to Saturday: 10:30 - 5:30, (excluding Bank Holidays)
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/dfa
Verified
Jul 2026
For Sale
77
A framed 19th-century watercolour depicting a man in an overcoat conversing with a female chestnut seller in a gilded frame with a double mount.
Joseph H Barnes The Chestnut Seller
Ref: SA1226541
A framed 19th-century watercolour depicting a man in an overcoat conversing with a female chestnut seller in a gilded frame with a double mount.
Detail View 1
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectFramed Artwork
  • Period19th century
  • StyleVictorian Genre Realism
  • MaterialPaper, Wood, Glass, Gold Leaf
  • ColourWarm Beige and Gold
  • MotifsGilt frame, Double mount, Narrative genre scene, Street vendor motif
  • SizeH 40 cm (16 in) x W 52 cm (20 in)

This nineteenth-century framed artwork presents a Victorian genre realism watercolour on paper, executed in brown ink and watercolour, heightened with white, and signed lower right. The narrative genre scene carries a street vendor motif, depicting a man in an overcoat conversing with a female chestnut seller within a village festival setting. The materials comprise paper, wood, glass, and gold leaf, finished in warm beige and gold colours with a gilt frame and double mount. Mouldings line the stepped cream mat board, and the outer wooden frame displays corner joints with a reflective gilt leaf finish. The piece measures 40 cm high and 52 cm wide, with an image size of 45.75 cm by 36 cm. Placement in a home today suits positioning above a sideboard in an English country house interior, bringing a historical focal point to a dining room or living area. The neutral mount tones blend easily with traditional furniture, while the narrative street scene introduces an engaging focal point for wall display. The artwork hangs securely using standard picture wire fixed to the reverse.

FAQs

Victorian genre painting focuses on depicting scenes of everyday life, often featuring narrative elements, street vendors, and domestic interactions common in 19th-century Britain.

These artworks typically utilised watercolour or gouache pigments on heavy cotton-rag paper, mounted within layered card mats and encased in carved wood frames finished with gold leaf.

Authentic pieces often feature fine wash techniques, subtle paper ageing or foxing, contemporary artist signatures, and period-correct joinery on the wooden framing.

Hang the artwork above a dark wood sideboard or integrate it into a curated gallery wall alongside modern and classic pieces to add historical texture to living spaces.

Keep the artwork out of direct sunlight to prevent pigment fading, display it in a climate-controlled room, and ensure UV-protective glass is installed during framing.
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