This beautiful mid-19th-century watercolour by English artist William Lee RI (1800-1865) depicts a mother holding her child aloft within a landscape setting. Born in Southwark, London, Lee was an accomplished English watercolourist with a particular specialism for wholesome family scenes.
Worn by the burden of ceaseless heat, following a climb through rocky upland terrain, a young woman looks dotingly towards her infant, who sees nothing aside from enduring love. It’s a triumph of motherly endurance. Quite simply, one of the artist’s finest portrayals.
During the early to mid-Victorian period, emerging industry within towns and cities created opportunities for social mobility and fostered a new generation of canny entrepreneurs. Often dubbed ‘new money’, these 19th-century industrialists established comfortable homes and often sought to elevate their standing via the development of their cultural knowledge. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, the arts were exclusive to those of aristocratic lineage, but the wider distribution of wealth led to a boom in the arts, particularly for writers and painters.
William Lee was at the heart of these changing times and produced delicate portrayals, which captured the imagination of middle-class patrons. Many of his themes were derived from popular subjects within Victorian literature and, as such, were of great interest. Although he didn’t directly reference scenes from novels, his general tone and narrative met with the middle-class tendency to romanticise those living in poorer conditions. It’s interesting to consider why ‘new money’ looked upon the working class in such a way, and it's easy to be sceptical. However, by focusing on the lighter side of life, the arts became a celebration of integrity, determination, and love.
Lee elevated the moral virtues within families - mothers cradle newborns, grandmothers pray for their kin, young women work tirelessly in the fields to feed their siblings. The suggestion is that, despite the conditions, love for one’s family can overcome even the grittiest of realities.
Lee’s training is unclear, but it’s likely that his aptitude for drawing began in childhood and, like many, he was probably tutored by a local drawing master. During his 20s or 30s, he became part of the ‘Langham Sketching Club’, which met regularly for discussion, mutual artistic development and a convivial supper. Along with bringing opportunities to learn from others, it also enhanced one’s circle of like-minded friends, and ultimately, provided access to generous patrons.
In 1844, he debuted at both London’s Royal Academy and the Royal Society of British Artists while residing at 15 Foley Place, London. This was followed, a few years later, by his election to the New Watercolour Society. He remained in London throughout his life, and little is recorded about the details of his career. But it’s apparent, from both the exhibition records and the census, that he continued to work until at least 1861.
He’s represented at the V&A Museum and the Ashmolean Museum.
Signed and dated in the lower left and housed in a period gilt frame, which is probably original.
Learn more about William Lee RI in our directory.
Medium: Watercolour on paper
Overall size: 21” x 28½” / 54cm x 72cm
Year of creation: 1851
Provenance: Private collection, UK.
Condition: Artwork presentable with a possible repair in the top right. Frame with various marks and showing its age.
Artist’s auction maximum: £4,547 for ‘Le Retour de Cythere’, Oil on canvas, Christie’s, Nineteenth Century European Paintings Drawings Watercolors And Sculpture, New York, 25 May 1988 (lot 420).
Our reference: BRV2038
