catalog text
HENRY PERLEE PARKER (BRITISH, 1795-1873) ANTIQUE PAINTING OF SMUGGLERS
"Settling for Cargo"
Signed lower right "H. P. Parker | pinxit"
Item # 1401GPP28PC
This highly interesting and very fine antique painting is exemplary of Henry Perlee Parker at his best, a fun and almost amusing caricature of hired smugglers being paid by an apparently grateful merchant for goods delivered. The scene is bright and the merchant jovial, having extracted several gold coins from his purse for payment; the standing smuggler watches with a look of indifference, an attitude countered by his careful eyes watching the coin counting while he drafts on his thin pipe. They are privately situated in a barn, settling their business away from prying eyes, while the merchant's dog rests in the hay looking on with the somewhat mournful expression of a companion not getting his fair share of attention.
Characterizing the scene is a stark and almost photographic realism, particularly noteworthy in the scattered accessories: the gun, the empty lantern, the empty spurs hanging by the doorway. Parker's attention to detail and bright rendering of every facet in the scene brings the subject to life in a vivid and compelling way. Over the years the work has been professionally conserved, the canvas backed on panel to prevent further craquelure and to stabilize the linen, resulting in a bright and absolutely stunning presentation. It is signed "H P Parker / pixint" lower right. This investment grade work of art is absolutely the strike point of any setting, a conversation piece that undoubtedly lends life and charm to whatever setting it becomes a part of.
Henry Perlee Parker was born in Plymouth (now Devonport) on March 15th of 1795. His father, Robert Parker, was primarily occupied as a teacher and marine draughtsman to the Royal Navy, but also is recorded as a painter, carver and gilder. Henry worked in Plymouth until 1816 while trying to build a career in portraitures; the works were highly admired and quite fine, but the local market was not strong and the works did not sell well. After marrying, he and his wife decided their prospects would be more promising in Newcastle, where they eventually settled. There he continued establishing a reputation as a portrait painter, eventually receiving several noteworthy commissions. Deeply engaged in the art community, he eventually befriended Thomas Richardson and together they established the Northumberland Institution of Fine Arts in 1822, an institution that sought to promote works through exhibition. His frequent exhibitions at the Royal Academy in London from 1817 to 1859, where he exhibited twenty-three paintings, and his work in establishing the Northern Academy of Arts in 1828 firmly cemented him as one of the most senior artists of the region. He began painting scenes featuring Smugglers and eventually became known as "Smuggler Parker" due to his fascination with the subject. In 1847 he moved to London where he died in 1873. His work is extensively documented and he is recognized in most major discussions of British Genre painters of the period.
Provenance: Frank Schwarz & Son, Philadelphia; illustrated in Philadelphia Collection XV, May 1982, pl. 29
Measurements: [frame] 30 5/8" x 25 1/2"; [panel] 24 3/4" x 19 1/4"
Condition Report:
Canvas laid on prepared panel for strength; light craquelure throughout surface; losses to edges where frame rubs (hidden from view when in frame); frame is contemporary. [UNDER UV] edges touched up, mostly on top and bottom 1", but also a few scattered touch ups on the left; fresh varnish fluorescing from a somewhat recent cleaning; craquelure touch ups in background (above seated figures), right seated figure untouched, left seated figure with craquelure touch ups in his pants and the barrel he sits on, two spots of touch up in his hat; standing figure with very minuscule touch up in his hat and jacket; craquelure touch ups in the blanket draped over the barrel under his pipe hand (mid-left quadrant). Overall very fine conserved condition. Please review all images in the slideshow for a full overview of condition.
