Louis John Rhead (1857-1926) A Cool Spot in Leafy June

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The Winter Sale 2019

By Copley Fine Art Auctions

Feb 16, 2019

Set Reminder 2019-02-16 10:00:00 2019-02-16 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Winter Sale 2019 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/copley/the-winter-sale-2019-3820
The sale will offer the opportunity to view and take home world-class paintings and fine bird carvings. Featuring selections from the collections of Alfred Ely, L. H. LaMonte, Grant Nelson, Ronald S. Swanson, Herb Wetanson, and a descendant of Chester F. Spear among others. Copley Fine Art Auctions cinnie@copleyart.com

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• Lot Description
  Louis John Rhead (1857-1926)
  A Cool Spot in Leafy June, 1902
  signed "Louis Rhead" lower right
  oil on canvas, 20 by 27 1/4 in.
  
  Louis John Rhead was a highly respected illustrator during the Golden Age of Illustration from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. He was born in England to a family who for generations had been artistically involved in the pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent. His father, George Woolliscroft Rhead, had a particular gift for pottery design and four of his eleven children entered the field. At the age of thirteen, Louis went to France for three years to study under Gustave Boulanger, with whom contemporary Frank W. Benson also studied. Upon returning to England he apprenticed at Mintons, the china factory, before winning a scholarship to the South Kensington Art School in London. He designed posters and book jackets for the English publisher Cassell. In 1883, an American publishing house called Appleton offered him the position of art director which he accepted and subsequently moved to New York. In addition to his book illustrations, his poster work for periodicals, including Century, Scribner’s, The Bookman, The New York Sun, and The Morning Journal, was highly regarded. He collaborated with his brother George Wooliscroft Rhead to illustrate John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress and Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Idylls of the King. In all, Rhead authored seven books on angling; the first of which was The Speckled Brook Trout. Additionally, he illustrated many children’s books, including Swiss Family Robinson, Gulliver’s Travels, and Treasure Island. Rhead was an accomplished painter, designer, and author. He was a member of the New York Watercolor Society and the Architectural League.
  
  Rhead’s painting A Cool Spot in Leafy June captures the moment of truth when the trout is brought to net. The artist has masterfully painted a cold water stream in June. Sunlight dapples on the surface and shadows flicker across the rocks. The fisherman is completely focused on his task, oblivious to his rapt audience peering down from the bridge. His pipe is clenched between his teeth as he holds the bent fly rod high in his right hand while a creel is slung over his right shoulder. At the ready, he scoops his net through the water toward the tiring fish. The viewer anticipates the next second when the fish will be safely in the angler’s net. Rhead’s composition, especially his noteworthy use of light and shadow, reflects his talent and training.
  
  Provenance: Milton C. Weiler Collection
  Private Collection, by descent in the family
  
  Literature: Louis John Rhead, The Speckled Brook Trout, Lanham, MD, 1902, p. 122, illustrated.

  Condition

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  • Shipping info

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