A Yorkshire Terrier
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Research by Marjorie Gregson and Amanda Draper
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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 Haulgh Mount, Headroomgate Road, St Annes 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 The following observations were made by Amanda Draper, Arts Development Officer (Collections) at Fylde Borough Council, prior to her becoming the curator the Victoria Gallery and Museum, University of Liverpool in January 2018: 'The painting was going out on loan and I was hoping to confirm for the borrower that the painting was by Maud Earl (as she is the better known artist) but clear pictorial evidence emerged which seems to prove it was by her uncle Thomas William Earl (henceforth TWE). Firstly, a painting almost identical to ours, but in an oval composition, is recorded as being sold at Bonhams in New York in 1999. It is called 'A Winning Look' and is signed by TWE and dated 1864. Either this is a copy of ours or vice versa The dog featured has distinctive stripes on its ears and it appears to be in at least one other painting by the artist around the same time. This is 'Sporting Companions' which is signed by TWE and dated 1863. Incidentally the composition, showing the heads of a group of dogs of widely differing sizes echoes a well-known work by Landseer. TWE frequently made versions of popular Landseer works. The Hampshere Gallery in London, a commercial gallery that specialises in dog paintings, has a painting which is almost identical to ours in media, size and composition except that the dog is a different colour. See http://www.hamsheregallery.co.uk/stock.php?id=1768. Like ours, their painting is unsigned and they have attributed it to TWE. I would say it was painted to be a partner piece to our work. There is some debate about the breed of the dog in our painting. You will agree it does not look like a modern Yorkshire Terrier. A painting called 'Two Skye Terriers' by TWE was sold at Capes Dunn in Manchester 2014. One of the dogs has coloured ears that would appear striped when the dog is shown head on to the viewer and bears other similarities to our dog. The Hampshere Gallery agreed that our painting looked more like a Skye Terrier but did say that Yorkies have changed radically since the 1860s so it could be a Yorkie or a Skye Yorkie cross. So I've left the title as it is. Beyond this, I looked widely at the paintings of TWE and Maud. TWE definitely has a fondness for small terriers that I don't see Maud sharing, they appear a lot in his work. She seemed to prefer hounds. Finally, just looking at artistic style, the rendition of our terrier much more closely resembles the work of TWE than Maud.' 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. Note: In 1840 Landseer painted a portrait, in oil, of Islay, Queen Victoria's favourite Skye terrier. The Hampshere Gallery sold an remarkably similar painting, except that the dog was a different colour, which was attributed to Thomas William Earl with the plaque on the frame bearing his name. 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 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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