This late 19th-century oil painting by British artist Frederick William Davis RBA RBSA (1862-1919) depicts a seated cavalier with a carefree attitude smoking a long clay pipe. He’s holding a letter in his left hand. Davis was an accomplished painter of figures and genre scenes.
Here’s a man who’s lost it all, leaning back nonchalantly, puffing smoke into the air, with a half-filled jug of beer alongside. His wide-brimmed hat rests in the foreground, inviting us to offer a coin. What wicked news did the missive contain? Has he lost an estate during the Civil War? His meagre surroundings suggest it’s true.
Born in Birmingham, Davis’ father was a watchmaker/jeweller, and he was raised in the Handsworth area. He trained initially at the Birmingham School of Arts before heading for Antwerp, Paris and Italy. In Paris, he worked under the eminent academic painter, William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905).
Unlike Bouguereau, whose exceedingly fine portrayals carry the utmost sobriety, Davis’ figures are, in contrast, often jovial and light-hearted, so it’s intriguing to consider how the pair connected. One gets the impression that Bouguereau’s students were encouraged to absorb the gravity of the classical world rather than revel in amusing narratives. However, Davis was a ‘Brummie’, with a keen wit, and probably couldn’t help himself.
Once back in Birmingham, his career gained momentum and in 1891 he debuted at the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA). A year later, he was elected a member of both the RBA and the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.
It was his finesse as a draughtsman coupled with his sense of humour that captured the attention of viewers. A critic described him as a painter, “who can paint humour without exaggeration and without degeneration into caricature”. A tricky balancing act, indeed. Another referred to him as “one of Birmingham's most gifted artists”.
During the late 19th century, several Birmingham artists flourished as ‘costume painters’, e.g. producing theatrical scenes with figures in period outfits. Davis was one of the finest, joining his contemporaries William John Wainwright PRBSA (1855-1931) and William Arthur Breakspeare (1856-1914) RBA RBSA. As tastes changed at the turn of the century, each became somewhat shunned at a national level and, as such, underappreciated. But today, as we look back, they remain significant contributors to Britain’s eclectic artistic tapestry.
He’s represented at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
Signed in the lower right and held within a later frame.
Learn more about Frederick William Davis RBA RBSA in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 21½” x 29” / 55cm x 74cm
Year of creation: 1889
Provenance: Private collection, UK.
Exhibited: Possibly exhibited at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, 1889.
Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Frame in excellent condition.
Artist’s auction maximum: £8,474 for ‘The Penance of the Duchess of Gloucester (1902)’, Oil on canvas, Sotheby's, European Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, New York, 22 Oct 2019 (lot 37).
Our reference: BRV2062
