William Somerville Shanks (1864-1951)
| Artist Name | William Somerville Shanks (1864-1951) |
|---|---|
| Title | Anemones |
| Description | This gorgeous Scottish thirties Impressionist floral oil painting is by noted Scottish artist William Somerville Shanks. Painted in 1937 the composition is of a bunch of pink, white and red anemones, casually lying on the paper they were wrapped in on a beautiful chair. An umbrella rests against the chair to the right, gloves are also lying on the paper and a patterned scarf lies draped over the chair. Rather than a static arrangement in a vase, we are seeing a story unfold, or the suggestion of one, such as someone has been out in the rain, bought these beautiful flowers and is probably looking for a vase to arrange them in while we, the viewer, enjoy them. The brushwork and impasto are superb as is the depiction of the contrast in textures. A lovely Scottish floral and an excellent example of Shank's work. Signed lower left. |
| Provenance | Exhibited at the Royal Glasgow Institute in 1937 no 88 entitle Anemones. Label verso with artist details and title. Bourlet label verso. |
| Medium | Oil on Canvas |
| Size | 24 x 20 inches |
| Frame | Housed in a complementary frame, 30 inches by 26 inches and in good condition. |
| Condition | Good condition. |
| Biography | William Somerville Shanks (1865-1951) was born in Gourock in Renfrewshire, Scotland. Working full time as a textile designer, he attended evening classes at the Glasgow School of Art under the headmaster and innovative plain air painter, Francis `Fra' Newbery. These classes instilled in him a determination to take up painting full-time and in 1889 he moved to Paris where he studied under Jean Joseph Benjamin Constant at the Académie Julian for three years. In his vibrant, free brushwork and use of colour he combines the influence of the French Realist Edouard Manet with his Scottish contemporaries, Fra Newbery and Sir John Lavery. He later taught at the Glasgow School of Art between 1910 and 1939 and in 1922, received a silver medal at the Société des Artistes Français. |
| Price | £12000 |
