Hilda Annetta Walker (1877-1960)
| Artist Name | Hilda Annetta Walker (1877-1960) |
|---|---|
| Title | Portrait of Three Pedigree Pekingese Dogs |
| Description | This gorgeous British 1930's triple dog portrait oil painting is by female artist Hilda Walker. She was born in Yorkshire and studied art in Leeds and London and was also a sculptor. She flourished between 1902 and 1958, continuing to paint well into her late 70's. This lovely painting, painted in 1934 and signed and dated lower left, is of three pedigree Pekingese dogs; Wee Keep, Wee Boy and Wee Sing, sired by Boy Wang from a breeder in Cornwall and their details are inscribed verso. The dogs are sat close together in a group against a light green background, all looking at the artist/viewer, their eyes shining. They are all different shades and Walker has perfectly depicted their soft hair and sweet little faces with great detail and brushwork. The frame housing them is the perfect colour. This is a superb thirties oil painting of not one but three Pekingese dogs and I doubt we'll have it for long. It is also an excellent example of Walker's work in the prime of her artistic career. Signed and dated 1934 lower left. |
| Provenance | Details of dogs verso. Faintly inscribed verso with the names of the dogs; "Wee Keep [?] (bitch), Wee Boy (dog), and Wee Sing (bitch), Sire 'Boy Wang", the breeder is given as 'Mrs Beswetherick of Woon Nr St Austell in Cornwall |
| Medium | Oil on Board |
| Size | 19 x 16 inches |
| Frame | Housed in a Bourlet frame, 26 inches by 22 inches and in good condition. |
| Condition | Good condition. |
| Biography | Hilda Annetta Walker FRSA (1877 – 3 June 1960) was an English sculptor, and a painter of landscapes, seascapes and horses, flourishing between 1902 and 1958. Walker was born in 1877 in Mirfield in the West Riding of Yorkshire, one of eleven siblings, most of whom were high-achievers. Walker attended Leeds College of Art, studying painting under William Gilbert Foster, and sculpture under William Charles Holland King, sculptor of Dover Marine War Memorial. Gray (2019) suggests that she may also have studied in London. She was a war artist painting in England during the First and Second World Wars, and described as "escapist". Some of her early work was the production of oilette postcard paintings for Raphael Tuck & Sons, of firemen and horses. She was born in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England, to a family of blanket manufacturers who had the means to foster her art education. She grew up in the Protestant work ethic of Congregationalism, and attended Leeds College of Art, where she studied under William Gilbert Foster of the Staithes group and William Charles Holland King, sculptor of Dover Marine War Memorial. She signed her works "Hilda Walker" or sometimes "Hilda A. Walker". Her siblings included Ronald Walker, Eric Walker and Dora Walker. The artist Marie Walker Last was her niece. Walker's London working address was Wychcombe Studios near Haverstock Hill, then a studio at Cranley Gardens, Kensington. She was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She was also a member of the New Society of Artists, a member of the Forum Club and an Associate of the Society of Women Artists between 1951 and 1958. In her native Yorkshire, Walker was known for her sculptures and painted panels, also for her oil paintings and watercolours, especially views of Wharfedale, and portraits of horses, and for her miniatures and print-making. Her many bronze and marble sculptures were portraits and figures, however some existing versions are reproductions of her work. She was a figurative artist. She died aged 82. |
| Price | £4000 |
