A Yorkshire Terrier
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Research by Marjorie Gregson
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Acc No 8
Artist Thomas William Earl (attributed) Artist dates 1815-1890 Medium Oil on board Size 8 x 5.5 in (20 x 14.0 cm) Date painted c 1863 Donor Richard Ernest Eckersley Date donated 20 March 1944 |
 'A Winning Look'
ARTIST
Previously attributed to Maud Earl, the painting is now thought to be by her uncle, Thomas William Earl, brother of George Earl, also an artist. George Earl was the father of Maud and Percy, her half-brother, all of whom achieved considerable success. A talented family of artists, they specialised in animal paintings. PAINTING A painting, almost identical to the one in the Collection, but an oval composition, was sold at Bonhams in New York in 1999. It was entitled 'A Winning Look' and was signed by Thomas William Earl and dated 1864. This could be a copy of ours or vice versa. The featured dog has distinctive stripes on its ears and appears in at least one other painting by the artist, namely 'Sporting Companions', signed by him and dated 1863. This composition, showing the heads of a group of dogs, echoes a well-known work by Landseer. The Hamshere Gallery in London, which specialises in dog paintings, sold an remarkably similar painting, except that the dog was a different colour. Like ours, this painting was unsigned but it was attributed to Thomas William Earl and the plaque on the frame bears his name. The painting was after Landseer’s 1840 oil painting, Islay, Queen Victoria’s favourite Skye terrier. There does remain some doubt regarding the breed of dog. The painting, Two Skye Terriers, by Thomas William Earl, which was sold at Capes Dunn in Manchester in 2014, depicts one of the dogs with ears that would appear striped. Yorkshire terriers have changed since the 1860s so it could be a Yorkie or Skye-Yorkie cross. This painting is one of two from the Lytham St Annes Art Collection which were chosen to feature in a major exhibition entitled 'Why look at Animals?' Together with In Disgrace, by Charles Burton Barber, they were hung alongside works from major British collections at The Atkinson Gallery in Lord Street, Southport until 11 March 2018. DONOR
Richard Ernest Eckersley was born in Salford, Manchester in 1877. In 1891 he was living with his parents, Benjamin and Annie, in South Manchester. By 1901, living with his widowed mother, his occupation was recorded as a bank clerk and in the 1911 census as a sub-manager. He remained unmarried, living with his mother and grandmother. In 1924 his address was given as Haulgh Mount, Headroomgate Road, St Annes. He died in 1944, aged 68, bequeathing several paintings to the Borough of Lytham St Annes. |
'Sporting Companions'
after Landseer’s 1840 oil of 'Islay'
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