
Thomas Seaman
Specialist, Head of Sale
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Sold for £10,880 inc. premium
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Specialist, Head of Sale
Provenance
Private collection, UK.
The present work is typical of the type of sporting composition that Richard Ansdell loved depicting at the height of his career, for which he was celebrated during his lifetime, and has been ever since.
Ansdell worked on a series of pictures featuring different types of sporting dogs at work, often carrying game. These pictures were very popular during his lifetime and were much sought-after to furnish gun or smoking rooms.
The eyes of this dog are beautifully depicted showing confident intelligence in retrieving the game, and the nose is realistically moist. Typical of Ansdell is the gentle portrayal of a gundog at work without the sensationalism of any type of brutality.
The Spaniel has retrieved the cock pheasant with efficient delicacy and is shown standing proudly against an approaching storm and threatening sky. This contrast in colour gives the painting such dramatic effect. Having studied the structure of birds from his early days at the Liverpool Academy, Ansdell was particularly adept at depicting plumage and here the bird is rendered in exquisite detail. The landscape of dead foliage and bracken confirm we are witnessing a scene at the height of the pheasant shooting season between October and February.
We are grateful to Sarah Dean (formerly Kellam, nee Ansdell) for compiling this catalogue entry. For further information, please see www.richardansdell.co.uk.