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Allan Douglass Mainds. "A French Town". Good Oil.
William Greenwood Fine Art
for sale €2,633     $2,858
£2,250

William Greenwood Fine Art

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Allan Douglass Mainds. "A French Town". Good Oil.

1920 - 1940
Description

Artist: Allan Douglass Mainds. A.R.S.A. (1881-1945).

Title: "A French Town".

Signed. Inscribed with title and artist's name on the reverse.

Oil on board.

Size: 14"x 20". Framed size: 24"x 30".

In the original gilt gold frame. The painting and frame have now been cleaned.

In very good ready to hang condition. Free UK delivery.

For more info please contact us at:

Tel: 01677 424830

Mob: 07885 175279

Email: williamgreenwoodfineart@gmail.com

Trade enquiries welcome.

Allan Douglass Mainds was born in Helensburgh in 1881 to Catherine Thomson Gilfillan and William Reid Mainds, a landscape painter in oil.

After studying drawing and painting at the Glasgow School of Art (1896-1902), Allan won the Haldane Travelling Scholarship, enabling him to study in Holland and Brussels under Jean Delville, before proceeding to Paris, Rome and Venice. His subsequent style was said to be strongly influenced by French artists, stemming from his time in that country.

From 1909 until 1931 he was a member of staff at the School, instructing in ornament, life drawing and painting, and from 1910 to 1918, lecturing in history of costume and armour.

During the First World War Mainds served with the Royal Field Artillery in Flanders, where he was commissioned to the rank of captain. There his work included sketching landscapes for the gunners and, late in the war, acting as an instructor in a convalescent hospital. His 1916 field sketchbook includes carefully observed figures and desolate landscapes. The black and white detail of the trench systems are in stark contrast to several drawings and paintings of Rouen, which were worked on during periods of ‘R&R’ away from the front.

He was married, in uniform, in 1916 to Mary Hogg, who had been a full time student at the School of Art winning several prizes for embroidery and silversmithing. In 1929 he was elected an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy and in 1931 he became Professor of Fine Art and Director of the King Edward VII School of Art, Kings College, University of Durham.

He died at home in July 1945, after the end of the war in Europe but before peace in the Far East. His son, a Captain in the Parachute Regiment, and his son in law, a Flight-Lieutenant in the RAF who was a Lancaster pilot, both survived the war and attended his funeral. Allan D Mainds appears on Glasgow School of Art's First World War Roll of Honour.

He exhibited at many major Art Galleries including The Glasgow Institute, The Walker Gallery, Liverpool, The Royal Academy and The Royal Scottish Academy (of which he was made an associate in 1929).

Physical Dimensions
Height
61cm (24.02")
Width
76cm (29.92")
Depth
5cm (1.97")
Declaration

William Greenwood Fine Art has dated this French Townscape Oil Painting to the 1930s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA787266
Dealers Internal Reference
wgp
Description
Artist: Allan Douglass Mainds. A.R.S.A. (1881-1945).

Title: "A French Town".

Signed. Inscribed with title and artist's name on the reverse.

Oil on board.

Size: 14"x 20". Framed size: 24"x 30".

In the original gilt gold frame. The painting and frame have now been cleaned.

fig 1. An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame.
fig 1. Allan Douglass Mainds. "A French Town". Good Oil.

In very good ready to hang condition. Free UK delivery.

For more info please contact us at:

Tel: 01677 424830

Mob: 07885 175279

Email: williamgreenwoodfineart@gmail.com

Trade enquiries welcome.

Allan Douglass Mainds was born in Helensburgh in 1881 to Catherine Thomson Gilfillan and William Reid Mainds, a landscape painter in oil.
William Greenwood Fine Art
fig 2. An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame.
fig 2. Allan Douglass Mainds. "A French Town". Good Oil.

After studying drawing and painting at the Glasgow School of Art (1896-1902), Allan won the Haldane Travelling Scholarship, enabling him to study in Holland and Brussels under Jean Delville, before proceeding to Paris, Rome and Venice. His subsequent style was said to be strongly influenced by French artists, stemming from his time in that country.

fig 3. An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame.
fig 3. Allan Douglass Mainds. "A French Town". Good Oil.

From 1909 until 1931 he was a member of staff at the School, instructing in ornament, life drawing and painting, and from 1910 to 1918, lecturing in history of costume and armour.

During the First World War Mainds served with the Royal Field Artillery in Flanders, where he was commissioned to the rank of captain. There his work included sketching landscapes for the gunners and, late in the war, acting as an instructor in a convalescent hospital. His 1916 field sketchbook includes carefully observed figures and desolate landscapes. The black and white detail of the trench systems are in stark contrast to several drawings and paintings of Rouen, which were worked on during periods of ‘R&R’ away from the front.

fig 4. An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame.
fig 4. Allan Douglass Mainds. "A French Town". Good Oil.

He was married, in uniform, in 1916 to Mary Hogg, who had been a full time student at the School of Art winning several prizes for embroidery and silversmithing. In 1929 he was elected an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy and in 1931 he became Professor of Fine Art and Director of the King Edward VII School of Art, Kings College, University of Durham.

fig 5. An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame.
fig 5. Allan Douglass Mainds. "A French Town". Good Oil.

He died at home in July 1945, after the end of the war in Europe but before peace in the Far East. His son, a Captain in the Parachute Regiment, and his son in law, a Flight-Lieutenant in the RAF who was a Lancaster pilot, both survived the war and attended his funeral. Allan D Mainds appears on Glasgow School of Art's First World War Roll of Honour.

He exhibited at many major Art Galleries including The Glasgow Institute, The Walker Gallery, Liverpool, The Royal Academy and The Royal Scottish Academy (of which he was made an associate in 1929).

Height
61cm (24.02")
Width
76cm (29.92")
Depth
5cm (1.97")
Date of Manufacture

William Greenwood Fine Art has dated this French Townscape Oil Painting to the 1930s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA787266
Dealers Internal Ref
wgp
William Greenwood Fine Art
Sellingantiques verified Since Oct 2012
Dealer Profile

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

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An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame.
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Archive I An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame.

Allan Douglass Mainds. "A French Town". Good Oil.

Archive II An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame. View II
Archive III An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame. View III
Archive IV An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame. View IV
Archive V An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame. View V
Archive VI An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame. View VI
Archive VII An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame. View VII
Enlarged Archival View
Location
Oakdene
Church Wynd
Burneston
Bedale
DL8 2JE
United Kingdom
Verified Since Oct 2012
Items For Sale 217
Items Sold 508
William Greenwood Fine Art
Verified Since Oct 2012
View Dealer Info
Location: Oakdene, Church Wynd, Burneston, Bedale, DL8 2JE, United Kingdom
Verified
Oct 2012
For Sale
217
Sold
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An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame.
Allan Douglass Mainds. "A French Town". Good Oil.
Ref: SA787266
An oil painting depicting a bustling French cathedral square with figures, set inside a heavy fluted gilt frame.
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Archival Detail
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Antiques are the ultimate green purchase. By choosing historical pieces over newly manufactured goods, you completely eliminate the carbon footprint of modern mass production while preserving exceptional, timeless craftsmanship.

Townscape paintings of this era typically feature expressive brushwork, structured architectural forms, and a focused study of ambient light and atmosphere. Artists frequently depicted daily life in European towns, balancing realistic spatial perspective with painterly colour application.

Oil pigments were applied to stretched linen canvas or solid wood panel, often prepared with a gesso ground. Frames were constructed from timber, frequently finished with gold leaf, burnished gesso, or decorative fluted mouldings.

Authenticity is evaluated through physical inspection of artist signatures, backboard labels, period-appropriate stretcher construction, and natural age indicators such as craquelure in the paint layer or oxidisation on the timber frame.

Position the artwork at eye level above key furniture pieces, such as a sideboard or mantelpiece, ensuring frame proportions balance the surrounding wall area. Accent lighting angled at 30 degrees highlights textural brushwork without causing surface glare.

Dust the surface lightly with a soft, dry microfibre cloth or camel-hair brush, avoiding moisture or commercial cleaning solvents. Maintain a stable indoor environment away from direct sunlight, radiators, or excessive humidity to prevent paint cracking and gilding flaking.
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