Completed British 19th C, except portraits, London: Artists and Subjects 10 comments Did Walter Greaves paint this scene, or another member of his family?
Photo credit: The Royal Hospital Chelsea
Is this by Walter Greaves or another member of his family?
Walter Greaves (1846–1930) and his brother Henry (1844–1904) very frequently painted street scenes of this kind in Chelsea and one can see several examples of these pictures on BBC Your Paintings – for instance 'The Street Singer' (Potteries Museum) and 'Lawrence Street, a Chelsea Pensioner' (Hunterian Art Gallery, University of Glasgow, where I was a Curator for 20 years) by Walter, and all three of the paintings by Henry on the BBC Your Paintings site. My own view is that in this case Walter is more likely to be the artist.
Collection note: Whilst we do have the picture here on display we do not have any more detail on it at present. So all comments and observations are of value to us. Many thanks.
Martin Hopkinson, Entry reviewed by Art UK
Completed, Outcome
This painting is now listed as being in the style of Walter Greaves (1846–1930).
This update will appear on the new version of Your Paintings, which will be live in early 2016.
Please see below for all the comments that led to this conclusion. If you have any new information about this work, please propose a new discussion from the artwork page.
9 comments
Links:
'The Street Singer': http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/the-street-singer-19899
'Lawrence Street: A Chelsea Pensioner': http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/lawrence-street-a-chelsea-pensioner
Henry Greaves on Your Paintings: http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/henry-greaves
Walter Greaves on Your Paintings: http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/walter-greaves
The inn was also known as Royal Hospital Tavern, the title of a painting in Kensington and Chelsea Public Liraries by Louise Surrey, which is not by the same hand as the painting in the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, although it is probably of similar date
I'd say you were spot on Martin. Is there a faint signature in the lower right corner? Certainly looks like it on my screen.
I had a look at the high resolution image but can't see any signature, just faint varnish or paint cracks.
Maybe the collection could be able to check the real painting, if they think there may be mark in the corner?
Prof. Margaret MacDonald, the Whistler specialist, has said that it is a Greaves subject, but blurrier than Greaves usually is, but could be by him or his brother Henry, though.
We have not had any comments on this for a while, so, having looked at other examples, I recommend an attribution to 'manner of Walter Greaves'.
I find a painting ca. 1913 by Walter Greaves which is similar in style to the painting in question:
http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/work.aspx?obj=16731
I have requested feedback from the collection.
The collection agree the work should be listed as in the style of Walter Greaves.