A Wonderful Dog Painings🐾♡

Arthur Wardle, R.I., R.B.C. (1864-1949) 

Waiting for master, a wire coated fox terrier

https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-arthur-wardle-ri-rbc-waiting-for-master-5583159/?

Sold at Christie's in 2012. I have always loved this breed.

Isn't this a delightful rendering of man's best friend?

xo

George Washington: Rare Miniature Portrait on Ivory

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A rare and important “H. Patterson Harris” portrait miniature of General George Washington, completed by Charles Willson Peale (American, 1741-1827) after his 1779 sitting and public commission to honor the “hero of the Philadelphia campaigns” was the top lot at Brunk Auctions March 25-26 sales, bringing $442,800 and selling to a private collector in the United States, bidding by phone, who was underbid by an American institution, also bidding by phone. It is the only known miniature of its kind that has ever been offered at public auction. Painted in watercolor on ivory, in what was presumed to be its original 18K gold case.

The miniature was accompanied by a period leather case lined with silk, a circular 18K gold locket containing a lock of hair purported to be that of Washington, a brass inlaid mahogany studio desk and its assorted contents, and a medallion that reads “CH Peale / to / Coleman Sellers.” 

The portrait miniature was published in Charles Coleman Sellers’ Portraits and Miniatures by Charles Willson Peale. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society. Descended in the family of H. Patterson Harris of Westport, Conn.

That must have been a very exciting auction for the audience. They were so lucky to have been able to see this rare portrait of the father of our country in person.

Charles Willson Peale: (American, 1741-1827) Rare and Important Portrait Miniature of General George Washington, c. 1785, the "H. Patterson Harris" miniature, painted after Washington’s sitting with Peale in 1779, watercolor on ivory, 2 x 1-1/2 in.; presumably original 18kt gold case, pinned to silk lining of a period leather case, 3-1/4 x 2-1/2 in.; together with a circular 18kt gold locket containing a lock of hair, (purchased separately) purported to be that of General George Washington, 1 in. diameter, pinned to the opposite side of the period leather case; together with Peale’s studio desk and its assorted contents, mahogany with brass inlay, medallion reads “CH Peale/to/Coleman Sellers” Note: This miniature is one of the works completed after the famed Sitting of 1779. This additional information and photo found here.

Unknown Albrecht Dürer Drawing Discovered at House Sale for $30

The Virgin and Child with a Flower on a Grassy Bank 

(around 1503) Agnews, London

This is an absolutely fascinating story. This signed Old Master drawing, in an antique frame, was sold by the daughters of a deceased architect/antique collector/dealer. They thought it was a 20th century reproduction but it has been authenticated as a circa 1503 original and the auction estimate is in excess of $50 million. The whole story can be read in the link I will leave below this post. If you want to see the Dürer in person, this drawing will be on exhibit in NYC in January 2022. Keep going to estate sales and maybe you can make a discovery too. Let me know and I will post it. xo

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/11/19/unknown-durer-drawingbought-for-just-dollar30-at-a-house-clearancecould-sell-for-dollar50m

Portrait of Young Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I, painted between 1558 and 1562 during the first four years of her reign, when the queen was in her mid to late twenties. This portrait just sold at auction for $158,661. Read more about the painting's history here. The Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603 in England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. I love it, don't you?

Equestrian Paintings by Sir Alfred Munnings

Portrait of Lady Barbara Lowther on horseback by Alfred James Munnings 1878-1959.

The artist himself. Read about Sir Alfred in a great article published by Christie's Auction House in London entitled: FROM WAR HORSES TO ROYALTY: THE ART OF SIR ALFRED MUNNINGS. The short biography includes many more paintings for you as well as one painted in 1954 with Queen Elizabeth. He painted continuously and beautifully up until the end of his life! I love the first one with the beautiful landscape in the background. Enjoy. xo

Delightful Cat Painting at Christie's

Noted for her paintings of cats and dogs, artist Henriette Ronner-Knip lived surrounded by her favourite subjects who played and watched on as she worked.⠀

.⠀

Henriette Ronner-Knip (1821-1909), 'Kittens at Play' (detail). Estimate: £12,000-18,000.

.⠀

British & European Art: European Art – 11 July at Christie's London.

I love the colorful needlework on the stool mama cat is curled upon, keeping watch on her little ones. The geranium in the clay pot is pretty wonderful too. Found on Instagram.⠀

The Poisoned Apple 1938 Snow White

What you see: The Poisoned Apple, a study by Wanda Gág [pronounced ‘Gahg’] for an illustration in a 1938 edition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Wold at Swann Auction Galleries in NYC for $5,000. I would love to see the other illustrations in this book. Her work is spellbinding!
UPDATE: I found a digital copy of this very book online HERE.

Christmas Card by Ernest Shepard

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS from Norah and Ernest Shepard: "This pen and ink drawing of Eeyore with holly, Pooh with a jar of honey and Piglet with a Christmas cracker comprises the original illustration for the only known Christmas card ever created by E.H. Shepard featuring the A.A. Milne characters." Offered for sale by Sotheby's in 1997. Sold for 30,000 GBP

What a treat it would have been to receive this Christmas card!

Two Portrait Paintings

I collect miniature portraits and posted this one on Instagram recently.

There is a lock of hair on the reverse side of the locket.

Portrait of a young boy by Lillian Cotton 1913

I adore smocked children's clothing.

I acquired this painting years ago on a "left bid" at a local auction house that isn't around any more and I really miss it. You have to to to New York City to see and touch auction items in person these days. Selling or buying on-line is another option. I went to an antique show sponsored by a country fire house this week and it was a fun day. I saw some lovely things there too.

Enjoy the weekend. It finally stopped raining last night and the entire weekend looks grand for the last weekend in July. xo

Winnie The Pooh Map Illustration

Winnie the Pooh Map Illustration Sets a Major New Auction Record

This original illustration sold for $570,000 and is the most expensive book illustration ever sold. Drawn in 1926 by illustrator E.H. Shepard, the map depicts the homes of beloved characters from the story, such as Christopher Robin, Pooh Bear, Piglet, Owl, Eeyore, and Kanga and Roo, in addition to other local spots.

An illustration of Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh walking through the Hundred Acre Wood, which sold at Sotheby's London. The illustration was offered alongside four other original Winnie the Pooh drawings, also created by Shepard, all of which have been out of the public eye for nearly 50 years. Combined, the five illustrations were sold for a total of $1.2 million, though they were estimated to only fetch between $412,000 and $584,000. 

Read the entire article here. Photos from Sotheby's

Beatrix Potter: Rabbits in Snow w/ Sleds

Beatrix Potter watercolors.

So Charming!

I never get tired of her images, do you?

via and google images

Beatrix Potter Rabbits Building a Snowman

I found another one for you ! ! !

This one was sold at Christie's in London in 2012 and brought over $35,000. 

Beatrix Potter Rabbits w/ Sled in Snow

Another Beatrix Potter watercolor that's new to me.

Potter, Beatrix
TWO RABBITS WITH A SLEDGE IN THE SNOW
via Sotheby's

Million Dollar Owl Painting found in an Attic

William James Webbe (fl.1853-1878), The White Owl, ‘Alone and warming his five wits, The white owl in the belfry sits,’ signed with monogram and dated ‘1856’ (lower left), oil on board, 17¾ x 10 3/8 in. (45 x 26.3 cm.) © Christie’s Images Limited 2012

Alone and warming his five wits, 

The white owl in the belfry sits.

I can't believe this wonderful story. I also cannot believe I am able to find such interesting news and articles on Instagram. This story will have you running to your attic to rummage around if yours is packed and you have no idea what's up there. That's what happened when a lady had to move things for a plumber in hers.

"Everyone dreams of finding that one priceless item hiding in the corners of a dust-ridden attic. One UK teacher recently experienced the joy of rescuing such a forgotten antique, all thanks to an old owl painting that turned out to be worth nearly a million dollars."

Read the entire story on The Huffington Post. Enjoy this beautiful November Saturday as I shall. xo

Beatrix Potter Gentleman Rabbit

Beatrix Potter.
GENTLEMAN RABBIT WITH LETTER ("BENJAMIN BUNNY")
Estimate 30,000 — 50,000 GBP
LOT SOLD. 70,850 GBP
(Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium)

A fine watercolour executed around the period 1890-93 presumably as a greetings card design. Although unpublished at the time, the design was later reproduced by The Beatrix Potter Society as a greetings card. The piece acquired the title of "Benjamin Bunny" for sale at auction in December 2004. A pencil and ink drawing of this design was sold in these rooms (Sotheby's), 8 July 2004.

Beatrix Potter Mouse + Spinning Wheel

I have never seen this Beatrix Potter 1890 watercolor either. via So many images are surfacing that I've never seen. So glad.

Beatrix Potter 'Mouse with a Spinning Wheel' 1890 Helen Beatrix Potter (1866 – 1943) English author, illustrator, mycologist and conservationist ink and watercolour. From the collection of Caroline Isobel Emma Halpin (née Hutton) and thence by family descent. Sotheby's archives.

Dowager Duchess of Devonshire's Home

Click here to view the 13-photo slideshow

I have a feeling this March 2nd auction at Sotheby's in London will be mobbed. Be sure to expand the description beside each photo in the slideshow by clicking "See More". You will then be able to read wonderful things about her like this: “If second childhood means going back to first loves in old age then I am deep in it.”

Mozart Locket Sold at Sothebys

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus

LOCK OF THE COMPOSER'S FAIR HAIR, CONTAINED IN A 19th CENTURY GILT LOCKET, WITH A 19th CENTURY MANUSCRIPT NOTE OF PROVENANCE. SOLD. 35,000 GBP 

See auction post here, scroll down for description.

Video: Bunny Mellon's Collection Displayed at Sotheby's

I can't get enough. This is old news but it still interests me immensely. Read the article and see more photos in a slide show @ Architectural Digest

Guests of Architectural Digest celebrate the collection of Mrs. Paul Bunny Mellon at Sotheby's. 

http://www.architecturaldigest.com/video/2014/celebrating-bunny-mellon-collection-video

Click on the link above to open the Architectural Digest video and then click to start it. Enjoy!

Vintage Beatrix Potter TOM KITTEN Plush Toy Cat Circa 1973 For Sale on Ebay

I am selling this adorable Tom Kitten doll with no reserve on ebay. It isn't getting much interest so I thought it might be a good idea to blog about it again. Click here to see my no reserve auction. It ends on Sunday afternoon in case you want to bid. There are 12 photos posted for you to view so you can see him from all angles.

This is an old picture from an 2009 blog post about him.

He is sitting in one of my favorite antique side chairs.

I used to have him on the high chair shown in the first picture along with two antique teddy bears until Webster grabbed him one day and started giving him puppy love bites. He managed to rip one side of the little jacket before I could get Tom away from him. I mended it on the reverse side with light blue iron-on tape that I luckily had in my sewing basket. 

I just took this photo of him leaning on a pillow on my living room sofa. I forgot to position his tail so you could see it.

He's all dressed up and ready to go to a loving home. Thanks for helping me say goodbye to this adorable character doll. The Tale of Tom Kitten is a children's book, written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. It was released by Frederick Warne & Co. in September 1907. The tale is about manners and how children react to them. Tabitha Twitchit, a cat, invites friends for tea. She washes and dresses her three kittens for the party, but within moments the kittens have soiled and lost their clothes while scampering about the garden. Tabitha is "affronted". She sends the kittens to bed, and tells her friends the kittens have the measles. Once the tea party is underway however, its "dignity and repose" are disturbed by the kittens romping overhead and leaving a bedroom in disorder.

Potter's career as a children's author and illustrator was launched in 1902 with the release of The Tale of Peter Rabbit. She continued to publish, and, in 1905, bought Hill Top, a farm in Lancashire, with the sales profits from her books and a small legacy from an aunt. Her tales were also inspired by the farm, its woodland surroundings, and nearby villages. Work began on Tom Kitten in 1906 and its setting became the Hill Top farmhouse. Illustrations depict the interior of the house and the gardens, paths, and gate at the front of the house.

Twenty thousand copies of the book were released in September 1907 and another 12,500 the following December. Potter composed a few miniature letters for child friends as if from the characters in the tale, and, in 1917, she released a painting book under Tom Kitten's name. In 1935, two books of piano pieces and piano duets for children were published with one piece inspired by Tom Kitten and another by the Puddle-Ducks. Tom and other characters in the book have become the subjects of a variety of merchandise over the years including porcelain figurines and plush toys. The tale is still in print, and has been translated and published in several languages.