Arthur Devis : William & Lucy Atherton : c1744 : Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery

Amongst the rich collections of our major provincial art galleries quite often one comes across a work which fascinates one by its apparent oddity. Such a work I found, many years ago, at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.. I knew little about Arthur Devis the artist but did have a family connection with the sitters, Mr and Mrs Atherton. So for a number of reasons, not least by the apparently naive if not strange depiction of the figures, it began an interest in the artist and his context.

As the years have gone by and I discovered more about this type of painting in general, as well as Arthur Devis himself, I began to realise that here was not a minor member of the portrait painting fraternity, a poor relation of such well-known portraitists as Reynolds or Gainsborough.  Here was a good representative of an important strand of portraiture which was produced within a particular eighteenth century  social and cultural context.  The artist was producing a product that the patron wanted – and that included how the figures were depicted. This was what was required by any family of the social class of the Atherton’s at the time.  It was required provincial taste catered for by artists whose whole lives were spent in particular provincial centres – in this case Preston. The doll-like figures  are intentional – being what was required by the patron – and some Gainsborough’s of his early Ipswich period are similar.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The painting is a statement of the status of the Atherton family – leading members of the social and cultural society in the ‘Harrogate of Lancashire’, namely ‘Proud’ Preston. Unlike Harrogate it was a thriving port and its wealth largely came from trade and William Atherton  was a successful and wealthy wool-draper.. This painting indicates such wealth and social graces.  Mr & Mrs Atherton were leading figures in Preston Society, being an Alderman and Mayor. Here they are displaying their new house in the town and its modern and fashionable interior – thereby making a clear statement about their importance, influence, and aspirations.

‘The Blue Vase’ : January 2007. Gouache on paper.

Unusually for me the above work started from an external object which fascinated me. A small translucent cloudy glass vase stood on a window sill and what intrigued and attracted me was the fact that the colour, or tonal range, of the vase constantly changed as the light coming through the window changed – from cloudy to bright, from direct to indirect sunlight, from daylight to a street lamp outside. The horizontal and diagonal lines or contours, and how they related to its physical context on a window sill of vertical and horizontal lines, of this simple little vase further intrigued me. I had to interpret it!

David Addison. Feb 2013.

2013 FEBRUARY/MARCH

STUDY DAY                                                                                                                           The new 2013 series of Art Appreciation sessions (led by myself) starts with a STUDY DAY on ‘What is a Painting?’ on Thursday 28^th February, 10.30am to 3.30pm.  We shall explore the different elements which contribute to a painting as a work of art – from the materials used in production through to presentation and context and on to subject matter and meaning.   As with all the Ashmolean Art Appreciation sessions taken by myself the aim is to explore and better understand and appreciate the works in the Ashmolean Collection.

AFTERNOON SESSIONS                                                                                                 The next four week series is on ‘Exploring the Modern Collection’.  This takes place in March on Wednesday afternoons, 2pm to 4pm. Following on from previous series this continues on to the ‘Modern’ period using the Ashmolean collections.  Our concern is to explore what is meant by ‘modern art’ as opposed to ‘Contemporary Art’ and will explore its origins in Impressionism and onward to the mid twentieth century. Work hanging on the gallery walls will be supplemented by works, particularly works on paper and prints, in the reserve collection.

Booking required at :- www.ashmolean.org/whatsonbooking

Along with going through my paintings and drawings I have also been going through my art history research papers. ?My major concern for many years were the picture collectors of Bristol and Gloucestershire from about 1800 to 1860 – a particular concern growing out of that earlier work has been, and continues to be, the Northwick Collection. ?Recognised as one of Britain’s major collectors, with an early interest in early Italian work, the fate of that collection caused by Lord Northwick apparently not making a Will means that there are many unanswered questions. ?There have been several forays by art historians and writers into the Northwick Collection and Lord Northwick himself.?What was recognised early on was Northwick?s pioneering interest in early Italian painting at a time when little attention was paid to these ?primitives? ? and that interest seems to remain almost the sole concern of later and present commentators. A close study of the Northwick collection in its entirety reveals that there was far more to his collecting interests ? not least his purchase and patronage of modern British art. (?a subject I deal with later?), ?and so to add to that bare corpus of knowledge I think it is time I shared some of my own comments and findings.

My first visit takes a glance at Thirlestaine House at a point when it had reached maturity in terms of paintings and buildings.

THIRLESTAINE HOUSE in the 1850?s?

As the year 1850 dawned John, 2^nd Baron Northwick, could look with satisfaction on his Cheltenham residence, Thirlestaine House. Bought in 1838 he had developed the property with a number of new rooms ? and for him that meant more hanging space for his picture collection. ?Northwick Park at Blockley, on the borders of Gloucester and Worcestershire, remained the active family seat where Lord Northwick ran a large estate with farms and woodland. The house at Blockley itself contained an extensive collection of works of art and they remained, plus additions, in situ. On buying Thirlestaine House Lord Northwick had sold his London house, in Connaught Place, and ?works of art in that house were transferred to Cheltenham. ?The 1840?s saw not only additions to the picture collection ?but also additions to his houses.

The move to Cheltenham signalled Northwick?s increasing concentration on his picture collection rather than his antiquities. In pursuit of this passion he quickly became known for his purchasing activity and he was a regular feature of Christie?s Auction Rooms in London. In 1846 he had produced a catalogue of his collection at Cheltenham ? a publication seized on by the ?Art Journal? who published a lengthy article on that collection but also the works housed at Northwick Park. ? ? ? ? ? ? Cheltenham and Thirlestaine House was fast becoming a ?must? place to visit for art enthusiasts and that emergent new breed, the art historian.?????? By 1850 the noble Lord and Thirlestaine House were firmly established – not least as an ornament and important cultural addition to the town of Cheltenham to which the local inhabitants had freedom of access. The weekly Cheltenham gossip magazine, the ?Cheltenham Looker-On?, had for some years been recording the comings and goings of people and pictures to Thirlestaine House reflecting the town?s pride and sense of ownership of this cultural icon.

The death of Lord Northwick ?and his dying intestate, and being unmarried and without issue, ?necessitated the whole collection, from Thirlestaine House and Northwick Park, to be put up for sale in 1859 and 1860 ? curiously not sold by Christie?s, with whom Lord Northwick had had a strong connection over many years, but by Phillips. Those sales of 1859 and 1860 took place at Thirlestaine House.

Looking at the catalogue lists of works, and the individual works where we know them to now exist, is in a sense only scratching the surface, is seeing them out of context. This is not a passive collection ? Northwick’s approach to collecting, and methods of selection, his contacts with other collectors and with dealers, his constant revision of hanging and purchase, and his practical concern with such things as framing and conservation are a fascinating subject.

David Addison.