Leonard John Fuller (1891-1973)
| Artist Name | Leonard John Fuller (1891-1973) |
|---|---|
| Title | Woolworths, Sutton, London |
| Description | This fantastic British 1940's figurative interior oil painting is by noted artist Leonard Fuller. Painted circa 1940, the colourful composition is looking into a busy Woolworths store with their trade mark wooden floors and counters. The aisles are packed with mostly women and children choosing the famous pick and mix sweets, but there's also a sailor and dog amongst the crowds. Behind the counters are several Woolworths store assistants in their brown uniforms. One wall is decorated with colourful parasols. The brushwork and details are superb. Fuller has perfectly captured the hustle and bustle of the store that many of us will remember from our own childhoods. Woolworths was a British high-street retail chain that first opened in 1909, in Liverpool. The Woolworths store chain was originally a division of the American F. W. Woolworth Company until its sale in the early 1980s, it had more than 800 stores in the UK prior to closure. Woolworths sold many different items. They were also well known for selling pick 'n' mix sweets. It was sometimes referred to as Woolies by the UK media, the general public, and occasionally in its own television adverts. Woolworths ran in to major financial difficulties in 2007/8. On 17 December 2008, administrators announced that all 807 Woolworths stores would close by 5 January 2009 (later changed to 6 January), with 27,000 job losses. However, it was announced in 2024 that Woolworths may make a return 15 years after its closure, when the German company announced its expansion throughout Europe. Signed lower right. |
| Provenance | James Bourlet label verso. Christies London Various chalk marks and stamps verso. |
| Medium | Oil on Canvas |
| Size | 50 x 40 inches |
| Frame | Housed in a gilt frame, 57 inches by 47 inches and in good condition. |
| Condition | Good condition. |
| Biography | Leonard John Fuller ROI, RCA (1891-1973). Fuller was educated at Dulwich College and then studied at the RA Schools between 1912-14. He won the British Institute Scholarship in painting in 1913 and subsequently attend the Clapham School of Art. During WWI, he became friends with Borlase Smart. After the war Fuller returned to study at the RA from 1919 to 1921. During this time he married the artist Marjorie Mostyn, known as Nancy, who was the daughter of the artist Tom Mostyn. From 1922-32 Fuller taught art at St John's Wood Art Schools. He also exhibited at the Paris Salons where he was a Silver medallist. Fuller also taught at his old school, Dulwich College from 1927- to 1937. His friend from WW1, Borlase Smart, persuaded him to come to St Ives, and with his wife he established the St Ives School of Painting in1938. Fuller was also a Founder member of the Penwith Society of Artists. He painted a superb oil portrait of Terry Frost and Son which is part of the permanent collection of the Newlyn Art Gallery. Full details of his important contributions to the St Ives art colony and to the crucial role he played during and after World War II is best found in Tovey (2003) pp94-6. Fuller died in St Ives. Paris 1927-31; GI 2, L 2, M 1, P 19, RA 21, RCA 47, RHA 2, ROI 36. |
| Price | £16000 |
