6th Nov, 2024 9:00

Royalty, Antiques & Fine Art

 
  Lot 1302
 

1302

Edward Dayes (1763-1804) oil on canvas - Hanover Square, circa 1785, 71.5cm x 91.5cm, in fine 'Kent' frame.Provenance: property from Edward Curzon, 6th Earl Howe of Gopsall Park

Edward Dayes (1763-1804) oil on canvas - Hanover Square, circa 1785, 71.5cm x 91.5cm, in fine 'Kent' frame.

Provenance: property from Edward Curzon, 6th Earl Howe of Gopsall Park and Penn House, thence by descent to a Lady of title

NB: A set of four known aquatints exist illustrating views of newly rebuilt London squares, originally painted in watercolour by Edward Dayes. The others depict Grosvenor Square, Queen Square and Bloomsbury Square. The watercolours were engraved by Robert Dodd, who also worked chiefly with the engraver and printseller Robert Pollard, who published the series in two parts in 1787 and 1789.

18th century oils by important British artist to be offered at Reeman Dansie

An important pair of oil paintings by Edward Dayes (1763-1804) are to appear at auction for possibly the first time in their history; they will be sold in Reeman Dansie’s Royalty, Fine Art & Antiques sale on Wednesday 6th November. The paintings depict Grosvenor Square and Hanover Square respectively, and the scenes closely resemble those found in a set of four aquatints illustrating views of newly rebuilt London squares, produced after watercolours by Dayes and published in 1787 and 1789. 

The paintings come with interesting provenance, having been the property of Edward Curzon, 6th Earl Howe of Gopsall Park and Penn House, thence by descent to a Lady of title.

Dayes achieved most success in his lifetime as a watercolourist and engraver, learning from the works of Paul Sandby, and he exhibited 64 works in the Royal Academy throughout his lifetime. He was known to have been an influence on J. M. W. Turner, and his pupils included Thomas Girtin. Dayes produced comparatively few oil paintings, having turned to the medium later in his life before committing suicide at the age of 41. These two pictures are among the largest known works in oil by the artist.

Both pictures show groups of fashionably dressed figures, and others going about day-to-day business, with the new buildings on either side of the landscaped squares. This represented modern ideas about city living, and the new London squares can be seen as a response to the feeling of public figures such as John Evelyn, who had claimed that the nation was “much inferior” to other European countries because of the state of its public works, with improvements necessary in everything from air quality, roads, housing, and paving. The use of neo-classical architectural forms shows how people were looking to the great civilizations of Rome and Greece to provide a model to create a better world. The architecture of the square also provided residents with the space to promenade and socialise, with the gentry and bourgeoisie living closer together, reflecting the changing class structures of the 18th century.

This is a rare opportunity to acquire two paintings that reflect a crucial period in British history, and do so in the accomplished manner of an important artist, but with touches of humour and frivolity that would have undoubtedly appealed to the contemporary market.

 

Sold for £18,000


 

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Telephone bids must be booked by 4pm the day before the sale but can be arranged earlier, we have limited lines and certain lots can be over-subscribed for phone bidding, in such instances we conduct a first come, first served basis and we encourage clients to book well in advance or risk being disappointed.

Auction: Royalty, Antiques & Fine Art, 6th Nov, 2024

 

The catalogue for Reeman Dansie’s Royalty, Fine Art & Antiques sale is available to browse, and we are delighted to be offering almost 1600 lots over the course of two days. The sale begins with the Royalty section, which contains its usual range of rare and desirable items, including a wool overcoat tailor-made for H.M. King Edward VIII, which the later Duke of Windsor found particularly useful for the cold New York winters (lot 1, £2000-3000). Other highlights include an important English Royal inlaid satinwood table made for H.M. Queen Adelaide, the Consort of H.M. King William IV (lot 81, £2500-3500). A range of photographs, letters, and other interesting ephemera can be found throughout the section.  

 

Ceramics and glassware will follow; it’s a particularly interesting section, with everything from William de Morgan, and Martin Brothers, to Chinese porcelain, represented. Notable lots include a rare English delft ware Duke of Marlborough charger dating from circa 1710 (lot 328,£3000-5000). The rest of the day will include silver, jewellery, and watches, where there are plenty of opportunities to find an ideal Christmas present for a loved one: a favourite piece of ours is a fine Victorian gold moonstone and rose-cut diamond bangle, the circular carved moonstone depicting the man in the moon (lot 606, £2000-3000).  

 

Day two will commence with the works of art section, which will open with Part I of the Christopher Rayner Collectionof playing cards. Spanning three centuries, and including rare Tarot and Transformation decks, we anticipate tremendous interest in this fine and well-preserved collection. Other highlights include a bronze group sculpture by Francesco Fanelli, the Italian-born royal sculptor of Charles I of England (lot 1104, £5000-7000).  

 

Pictures will follow; there are over 250 to be sold, and we are particularly excited about an important pair of oil paintings of Grosvenor and Hanover Squares, by Edward Dayes (1763-1804) (lots 1301 and 1302, £20,000-30,000 each). The paintings come with interesting provenance, having been the property of Edward Curzon, 6th Earl Howe of Gopsall Park and Penn House, thence by descent to a Lady of title. The sale will conclude with furniture and rugs, where a number of Liberty pieces will be sold alongside a wide range of other items dating from the 17th to 20th centuries.  

 

We look forward to welcoming you to the sale.

 

        

 

Viewing

Friday 1st November 12pm - 5pm

Saturday 2nd November 9am - 1pm

Monday 4th November 9am - 6pm

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