Dog and Mallard
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Research by Sarah Kellam
Great Great Grandaughter of Richard Ansdell RA |
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Acc No 58
Artist R Ansdell (disputed) Artist dates 1815-1885 Medium oil on canvas Size 35.5 x 30.8 cm (14 x 12.3 in) Signed R Ansdell 1865 Dated 1865 (lower left) Donor Mr & Mrs J B Leaver, Lytham Date donated 28 September 1942 (in memory of Mr & Mrs A Leaver) |
According to the catalogue of Fylde Borough Collection of Works of Art (No 5, 2001), Stephen Sartin describes this painting as Dog and Mallard: Waiting for a Good Bag and attributes it to 'Follower of Richard Ansdell RA'. This title should be completely discarded as it’s so erroneous – this dog is not waiting, it’s in the act of retrieving and is an example of how titles of paintings get confused over the years, making it difficult for researchers. Sometimes the painting has been known as just Dog and Mallard or Spaniel and Mallard.
This is a typical sporting subject favoured by Richard Ansdell showing a water spaniel retrieving a mallard during a ‘shoot’. It is nicely executed with plenty of movement and would have been very commercial in its day.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my opinion I can’t completely authenticate this painting as by Richard Ansdell. There are quite a lot of things that raise alarm bells and I tend to agree with Stephen Sartin that this is by a 'follower'. It is certainly a subject that would have been painted by Ansdell and it’s nicely drawn, but the paint is rather crude for Ansdell – as is the depiction of the sky. All this and the fact that it’s on canvas and fully signed makes it suspect. If it was a sketch by Ansdell in preparation for a large painting it would almost certainly be painted on board and it would not have been signed. The signature however looks genuine but it could easily be an accurate copy. I cannot say that this painting is 100% by Ansdell – it is either a copy or someone has found a genuine sketch and has overpainted it themselves.
Editor's note:
It is confusing that although Stephen Sartin does indeed attribute this painting to 'follower of', he also says it is signed and dated 'R Ansdell 1865'.
This is a typical sporting subject favoured by Richard Ansdell showing a water spaniel retrieving a mallard during a ‘shoot’. It is nicely executed with plenty of movement and would have been very commercial in its day.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my opinion I can’t completely authenticate this painting as by Richard Ansdell. There are quite a lot of things that raise alarm bells and I tend to agree with Stephen Sartin that this is by a 'follower'. It is certainly a subject that would have been painted by Ansdell and it’s nicely drawn, but the paint is rather crude for Ansdell – as is the depiction of the sky. All this and the fact that it’s on canvas and fully signed makes it suspect. If it was a sketch by Ansdell in preparation for a large painting it would almost certainly be painted on board and it would not have been signed. The signature however looks genuine but it could easily be an accurate copy. I cannot say that this painting is 100% by Ansdell – it is either a copy or someone has found a genuine sketch and has overpainted it themselves.
Editor's note:
It is confusing that although Stephen Sartin does indeed attribute this painting to 'follower of', he also says it is signed and dated 'R Ansdell 1865'.
