This heartwarming late 19th-century watercolour by British artist Mary Evelina Kindon (1849-1919) depicts three old friends nattering within a cottage interior.
Kindon had a knack for capturing the most natural everyday moments with expert handling and exquisite colouring. She was a keen observer of life and painted ordinary families within regular Victorian homes. The character here is astonishing and she somehow draws us into the extent that we know these ladies. We’re in the room, sunk in an armchair, with a cup of tea and a slice of fresh bread. It’s grandma’s house and the heat radiates from an open fire.
Kindon remains extremely underrated. As a female artist during the 19th century, she worked within her own world - painting women, for women. Despite exhibiting frequently at the Royal Academy, her press coverage was scarce with only one article worthy of note. In 1889, a reporter at ‘The Queen, The Lady’s Newspaper’ spoke highly of her abundant talent and mentioned her Royal Commission.
“The late Prince Leopold employed Miss Kindon to copy Turner’s ‘Old Temeraire' for him, and when that by no means easy task was finished and the picture sent to Windsor Castle, the Prince directed his secretary to write to the artist a letter expressing strong approval of the work she had executed.”
Having trained in France for a while, Kindon also exhibited at the illustrious Société des Artistes Français and the Paris Salon. An accomplishment that many of her male counterparts failed to achieve.
Thankfully today, her work can be appreciated by a wider audience and hopefully, she’ll take her rightful place among the finest watercolourists of her generation.
Signed/dated and held within a gilt frame.
Medium: Watercolour on paper
Overall size: 31” x 23½” / 79cm x 59cm
Year of creation: 1889
Labels & Inscriptions: Title label on reverse.
Condition: Artwork presents well. Frame with some light wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £10,000
Mary Evelina Kindon trained under Edward Goodall (1795-1870) known for his Turner engravings and later at Royal Academy Schools. She also visited Paris and worked in the studios of M Glaize and Colarossi. She exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Suffolk Street Gallery in London, the Institute of Painters in Watercolors, the Société des Artistes Français and the Paris Salon. Bushey Museum holds examples of her work.
Learn more about Mary Evelina Kindon in our directory.
We care profoundly about our role as custodians and every piece in the collection has been assessed by our conservator. When required, we undertake professional restoration carefully using reversible techniques and adopt a light touch to retain the aged charm of each work. We also restore frames rather than replace them as many are original and selected by the artists themselves.
