~ A Seadog`s Tale Oil On Canvas Painting By Arthur Dixon 1872-1959 ~
This charming painting depicts an old salt making conversation with a pair of younger boys (one a Royal Navy midshipman and the other in cricket dress), with Portsmouth Dockyard (more specifically the Semaphore Tower) in the background.
He seems to be recalling exploits from his life whilst pointing to some of the old war ships, which also appear in the background.
The piece appears to have been painted from outside “The Still and West”, one of Portsmouth’s oldest and historical navy haunts, which is one ‘The Point’ of Old Portsmouth.
This oil painting was formally the property of Sir Francis and Lady
Anne Winnington, whose family seat was at Stanford Court in Worcestershire and who had historic links to the monarchy, the Churchills and the English Civil War.
Both Sir Francis Winnington and Lady Winnington were avid collectors of Royal and naval memorabilia, which they displayed in their home at Brockhill Court and at their London property. Sir Francis passed away in 2003.
It is signed to the lower left. Though not dated, from the uniforms and vessels, we would date the piece to around 1900.
~ Arthur Dixon ~
Born in St. Pancras, London, on 8 May 1872, Arthur was already working as an artist by the age of 18 and went on to produce illustrations for dozens of books, notably for London based Ernest Nister and Glasgow based Collins’ Clear-Type Press and Blackie & Sons between 1899 and the 1920s. He was noted for nostalgic themes in his best paintings which hang in Museums. Dixon died in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, in 1959.
His work included illustrations for schoolgirl novels by Angela Brazil, Elsie Oxenham and Bessie Marchant, numerous fairy tale books and editions of classic novels by Charles Dickens, Alexandre Dumas, Charles Kingsley, Victor Hugo, Washington Irving and many others. He contributed 6 colour plates and 70 halftone illustrations to the volume Child Characters from Dickens (1905). He also contributed to Collins Children’s Annual, Tuck’s Annual and Pearson’s Magazine.
~ Dimensions ~
The frame has a height of 40.3 inches (102.2 cm), a width of 32 inches (81.3 cm) and a depth of 1.6 inches (4.1 cm). The canvas has a height of 35.3 inches (89.5 cm) and a width of 27.3 inches (69.2 cm). It weighs 4.85 kg.
~ Condition ~
The painting is in excellent condition, it has been relined. The frame is modern.
