English Antique Landscape Painting of Wooded Glade Attr. William Shayer, Sr.

WILLIAM SHAYER, THE ELDER [attributed]British, 1787-1879Lunching in a Wooded GladeOil on canvas | unsignedItem # 309JPZ22P
A gorgeous example of the idealized and romanticized picturesque landscape, this brilliant painting captures a group of travelers breaking for lunch in a wooded glade. A surreal and almost heavenly light falls on the travelers through the thick of the trees overhead, casting a golden glow on the gentle grasses and fallen trees where the children play and the group relaxes. One man tends to the carefully articulated horses while the eldest member of the group sits on a log enjoying a bite. Note the exquisite handling of the trees and foliage.The painting is unsigned by very closely associated with the work of William Shayer, the Elder. And while it cannot be absolutely noted as his work, the quality, brushwork and close likeness to many other works he completed are compelling and result in a reasonably firm attribution to his hand.
WILLIAM SHAYER, THE ELDEROriginating from Southampton, William Shayer Sr. embarked on his artistic career by initially painting rush-bottom chairs, later transitioning to become a renowned coach-painter in Guildford, famed for his exquisite coats of arms. This skill led to his prestigious assignment to create the funeral escutcheon for the 4th Earl of Richmond. Alongside his professional work with heraldic imagery, Shayer nurtured a personal interest in landscape art.During a family visit in Southampton, Shayer enhanced his skills under the mentorship of seascape artist Jock Wilson. Shayer’s talent in depicting coastal scenes soon eclipsed that of his mentor. He settled in Shirley’s Bladon Lodge, near Southampton, a region noted for its picturesque skies, and declined opportunities to relocate to London.Shayer’s legacy as an artist is marked by his wide-ranging genre scenes. He captured the essence of the British coastline and rural life, portraying shepherds, gamekeepers, gypsies, market scenes, and rural life. In 1810, Shayer married Sarah Lewis Earle and was father to William Shayer the Younger, Charles Waller Shayer, and Henry Thring Shayer. His artistic achievements were recognized with his admission to the Society of British Artists in 1862, where he exhibited 338 works between 1825 and 1870. Additionally, he displayed works at the Royal Academy and the British Institution. Shayer’s diverse genre paintings, particularly featuring rural and coastal life, solidify his standing alongside other 19th-century English landscape art luminaries such as John Frederick Herring and Thomas Sidney Cooper.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
* E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. XII, Gründ, 2006, p. 1095-1097
Measurements: 17 5/8″ H x 21 1/4″ W [canvas]; 23 3/4″ H x 28″ W [frame]
Condition Report:Contemporary frame. Cleaned in the last twenty years, surface presenting beautifully and ready-to-place. Very faint age appropriate surface craquelure throughout. Under UV examination, surface is a bit difficult to fully examine due to the flaring of more recent varnish, though there are hints of inpainting around the extreme edges of the painting where the frame would rub, a few spots in the lower right extreme corner and a spot above the woman in the red dress. A very fine presentation.