This early 20th-century watercolour by British artist Thomas Frederick Mason Sheard (1866-1921) depicts a sun-drenched mountain track with figures.
Amid blazing Italian heat, two adolescents rest in the shade of a crooked olive tree. A boy plays the flute - a veritable serenade to accompany this breathtaking vista. Sheard adored Italy and in 1905, when he produced this piece, lived in (or near) Sportigallo in Tuscany. The views are outstanding and the countryside tranquil. It’s no wonder that his son was born here.
Sheard was an intelligent artist, an Oxford graduate, who studied history and appreciated the arts in its various forms. One can imagine that he was fascinated by his expeditions to the continent and revelled in Italian architecture.
He produced an oil painting titled ‘Rest at Noon’, which included a similar scene, during the same year.
Signed and held within a later frame.
Medium: Watercolour
Overall size: 18½” x 22½” / 47cm x 57cm
Year of creation: c. 1905
Provenance: Private collection, England.
Condition: Artwork presents well. Frame with some light wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £25,000.
Professor Thomas Frederick Mason Sheard was an accomplished British painter of landscapes, portraits and figures. He’s particularly well-regarded for Middle Eastern subjects and also worked in Venice. He studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris under Gustave Courtois, Jules Lefebvre, Rixens, and Rigolot. His works were shown at numerous high-profile exhibitions including the Royal Academy, Paris Salon, The Royal Society of British Artists, Royal Institute of Oil Painters, and the Exposition Universelle where he was awarded a medal. Various public collections hold examples, such as the Witt Library of the Courtauld Institute.
Learn more about Thomas Frederick Mason Sheard 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.
