John George SOWERBY

(Gateshead 1850 - 1914)

The Kingfisher’s Haunt

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Watercolour and bodycolour on paper laid down on board.
Signed JOHN SOWERBY at the lower right.
230 x 178 mm. (9 x 7 in.) [image]
245 x 195 mm. (9 5/8 x 7 5/8 in.) [sheet]




Born into a prosperous Gateshead family of glass manufacturers and artists, John George

Sowerby inherited the family business in 1879. However, having little interest in glassmaking and determined instead to take up a career as a painter, he lost significant amounts of money and was eventually declared bankrupt, selling the firm of Sowerby Glass in 1896. Sowerby’s painted oeuvre is largely comprised of landscapes and garden scenes imbued with a distinctly Pre-Raphaelite sensibility, and characterized by strong colour and rich detail. He also worked as a book illustrator, in collaboration with Sir Walter Crane.

Provenance

Hartnoll and Eyre, London Anonymous sale, Newcastle, Anderson & Garland, 23 September 2003, lot 303 Christopher Cone.

John George SOWERBY

The Kingfisher’s Haunt