catalog text
W.E.D. STUART
British, fl. 1846-1858
A Still-Life Fruit, Flowers and a Gourd Surrounding a Ewer and Urn on a Table (1853)
Oil on canvas | signed in the textile on the table "WED STUART 1853"
Item # 402MPF21P
A delightful still-life with an extensive layout on an Italian Neoclassical table over some kind of woven textile that includes many bunches of white and red grapes of all hues, a pineapple, plums, red peppers, an orange with part of its peel removed, peaches, strawberries and berries under a bouqet of flowers and sprigs of greenery. These surround a gilt ewer and an urn in the back with a figural finial, the ewer partially hiding a gourd on vine. Interestingly the ewer has a portrait of a well-dressed gentleman in spectacles on the high-polish portion that would generally be monogrammed on a ewer. Perhaps at some point in the future further research on the largely unknown life of W.E.D. Stuart might turn up some context on this interesting portrait - it is very clearly painted almost would be reflecting the painter based on the position of the sitter. It is interesting that an artist who exhibited so extensively at the major galleries would have left behind so little biographical information - over his relatively short career, Stuart sent no less than 71 paintings, including 25 paintings to the British Institute of Art, 26 paintings to Suffolk Street Galleries and 16 paintings to the Royal Academy.
The scene is signed in the woven textile with a conjoined WED followed by Stuart 1853 (partially illegible). A very nice and relatively large example of his work housed in a nice 20th century pierced giltwood frame.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. XIII, Gründ, 2006, p. 473
- A Dictionary of Artists Who Have Exhibited Works in the Principal London Exhibitions From 1760 to 1893, Graves, 1973, p. 269
Measurements: 35" H x 2 3/4" D x 30" W [frame]; 30 1/4" H x 25" W [canvas]
Condition Report:
Cleaned and restored by our conservator (varnish layer removed, all excess inpainting and overpainting removed, surface keyed out, preliminary varnish layer, spots of inpaint, final layer of traditional damar varnish); under UV examination, the background color appears to be largely overpainted throughout the entire "sky" and in the background behind the bouquet; surface restoration difficult to examine through the flare of later varnish; relined on contemporary stretcher; very minor surface craquelure, surface stable; a very fine presentation, ready to place.