This mid-19th-century oil painting attributed to English artist Edward Charles Williams (1807-1881) depicts a wooded river landscape with a thatched cottage, fishermen, mother, child and dog. Williams was an accomplished landscape painter and a member of the ‘Barnes School’.
Two fishermen wait patiently for a bite adjacent to a time-worn cottage, which is nestled into foliage. A mother and child, together with their loyal hound, wander by the river. Painted around 1850, it’s an idyllic vignette of a bygone age.
Born in London, Edward Charles Williams was the son of ‘Old’ Williams, a landscape painter of repute. Trained by his father, his style during the early part of his career was remarkably similar. As a boy, he would’ve been taught the masterly ways of the esteemed Dutch landscape painters of the 17th century, such as Meindert Hobbema (1638-1709). The Dutch and Flemish painters of this period set the bar in terms of composition, chiaroscuro and colouring.
Like the Dutch painters before him, he often included taverns in his landscapes as these were a welcome retreat for those travelling on horseback. In his ‘The Old Roadside Inn’ from 1859, numerous figures congregate as their host brings refreshments. It’s a worthy celebration of the great British pub (just as important today as they’ve always been).
As his career progressed, his style adapted in line with current fashions and became more naturalistic. E.g. with more emphasis on studying from life and painting what he saw. But for us, it’s his older works that carry the most charm - an abundance of nostalgia for an idealised way of life.
Edward Charles Williams exhibited at the Royal Academy, British Institution and Royal Society of British Artists. He’s represented in numerous public collections including the Government Art Collection, Trinity College at the University of Cambridge, and Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
Held in a later frame.
Learn more about Edward Charles Williams in our directory.
Medium: Oil on panel
Overall size: 25” x 20” / 64cm x 51cm
Year of creation: c. 1850
Labels & Inscriptions: Dealers label relating to M. Newman Ltd on the reverse.
Provenance: With the art dealer, M. Newman Ltd, 43A Duke Street, London / Private collection, UK.
Condition: Cleaned. Areas of fine and settled craquelure. The paint layer is stable. Repairs to a crack in the panel. Frame in good condition with minor age-related wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £25,000 for ‘Punch and Judy/The Itinerant Musician’, Oil on canvas, Sotheby’s, Victorian & Edwardian Art, London, 2006 (lot 32).
Our reference: BRV2160
