Mansion House Antiques & Fine Art has dated this piece to the 1930s.
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We are offering this expertly executed oil painting on canvas by the artist Alfred L. Grace, who has signed the painting A. L. Grace, as he always did, in the lower left hand corner. The artist very rarely dated his work, so we are estimating it to be early to mid 20th Century.
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The painting depicts an elderly red-robed Cardinal in his study, seated in a leather covered and studded chair, with his feet on a round footstool, attending to the business of the Church. His assistant or secretary is a brown robed monk, who is pointing to something on a document with the end of a quill pen. The study has wood panelling and stone framed arched windows with leaded lights and some panes of bullseye glass. There is a shield shaped armorial panel near the top of the window and to the right of the large windows there are two cupboards, one with the door partially open showing that it contains books or ledgers, some of which may be on the table. There is also an hour glass on the table, as well as a candlestick and a pot with another quill pen.
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ABOUT THE ARTIST ALFRED L GRACE
Was born in Bournemouth on the 16th February 1899. He appears to be known on some auction sites and on google as Alfred Lyndon Grace, 1867-1949, but we cannot confirm his second Christian name in any of the official documents, nor have we been able to find any people with the birth and death dates of 1867-1949. Unfortunately, inaccurate dates are very common in the auction world and once they have appeared somewhere, they are copied and recopied as if they are accurate and official.
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We have found evidence of Alfred L. Grace, who appeared in 1911 as a boarder at a school in Bournemouth, in the 1939 National Register which has just become available online, listed as a Commercial Artist, living at 1 Stratford Studios, Kensington, London W.8. with his wife Kathleen M (nee Weeple), who has married that year. He was previously married in Chelsea in 1920 to Catherine L.(nee Dale) and, in fact, went on a cruise with her to Tangier in 1931. All of this ties up with the fact that we found an oil painting by this artist, which was sold at auction, of an original Players cigarette advertisement. He may have funded his painting by his commercial art or turned to it in later years. He died in London in the first quarter of 1954 at the early age of 54.
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He was a painter in oils of figurative subjects, genre paintings, portraits and floral still life. Many of his paintings include cardinals, huntsmen, cavaliers, old soldiers etc. and all are painted with great attention to detail.
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His paintings often command high prices and the record that we have found in recent years is £4,851 plus premium in the USA.
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PROVENANCE
The painting was formerly with the Lotinga Fine Art Galleries, 57 New Bond Street, London W.1.
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MEASUREMENTS (Including Frame)
Height 33 3/8 Inches (84.75cm)
Width 29.5 Inches (74.9cm)
Depth 3 Inches ( 7.62cm)
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CONDITION.
The painting is in good order with the surface of the canvas being clean and taut. There are two tiny old repairs the canvas,although this is not obvious from the frontal view you would not know,and there is no craquelure or stretcher marks. The frame is new.
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PAYMENT OPTIONS
We prefer to Receive Payment By Bank Transfer.
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TELEPHONE ENQUIRIES 07765 856171
HOURS 10AM - 10PM 7 DAYS A WEEK BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
DELIVERY UK £80 / WORLDWIDE EXTRA / OUR REF 0663
Mansion House Antiques & Fine Art has dated this piece to the 1930s.
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Oil Portrait Painting of Catholic Cardinal in Red Robe by Alfred L Grace (1899-1954) 33.5 X 29.5 Inches
