Attrib. William Havell (1782-1857) - Framed Oil Playing by the River

Description

Attributed to English landscape painter William Havell (1782-1857), this atmospheric oil painting depicts children playing beside a tranquil river on a sunny day. The work is beautifully presented in an ornate gilt frame and bears an inscription of the artist's name on the reverse. On canvas on stretchers.

Condition

The artwork exhibits signs of wear consistent with age. Light surface discolouration throughout, including yellowing to the varnish layer. Minor paint loss to the perimeter of the painting (upper left). There is a fine surface scratch near the centre. Inspection under UV light reveals no apparent restoration. The canvas has been previously relined. The frame has minor surface wear. Overall, the artwork presents in good condition.

Size

34 x 49.5cm (13.4" x 19.5")
Framed Size: 48.5 x 64.5cm (19.1" x 25.4")

Artist Biography

William Havell (1804–1857) was an English landscape painter from Reading, Berkshire, and a founding member of the Society of Painters in Watercolours. Encouraged by his art-teacher father, he honed his craft on a formative sketching trip to Wales and made his Royal Academy debut in 1804 with views of Carnarvon Castle and Nant Ffrancon. A two-year stay in the Lake District from 1807 produced many of his finest mountain scenes. In 1816, Havell joined Lord Amherst's embassy to China as draughtsman, but a shipboard quarrel cut the appointment short. He sailed instead to India, where he worked successfully as a portrait and landscape painter until 1825. Back in England, finding his watercolours out of fashion, he turned to oils and exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy, drawing on Italian, Welsh, and Chinese subjects. Despite the refined colour and quality of his work, public interest waned, and after losing his savings in the failure of an Indian bank he relied on the Royal Academy's Turner Fund. He died in Kensington on 16 December 1857 and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery.