Beschreibung:

DescriptionProperty of a LadyJohn Brett, A.R.A.British1831 - 1902View Over the Beach, St Ives
inscribed and dated St Ives Sep 16. 72 lower rightoil on boardUnframed: 25.5 by 35.5cm., 10 by 14in.Framed: 42.5 by 53cm., 16¾ by 20¾in.Condition reportThe board is in good condition. There is surface dirt visible and the work would likely benefit from a light clean. There is some abrasion to the edges and associated losses to the extreme lower framing edge. Examination under ultra-violet light reveals no evidence of retouching or restoration.
Please note that Condition 12 of the Conditions of Business for Buyers (Online Only) is not applicable to this lot.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.ProvenanceSale: Christie's, London, 26 June 1886, part of lot 80
Joseph Beausire, Liverpool (purchased at the above sale for 35gs)
Sale: Christie's, London, 13 April 1934, part of lot 30 recorded as bought by 'Misset' for 4gs. but probably unsold; thence by descent to Miss C. C. Beausire
Sale: Sotheby's, London, 22 October 1969, part of lot 13
Maas Gallery, London (purchased at the above sale)
Purchased from the above by a private collector; thence by descent to the present ownerLiteratureChristiana Payne and Charles Brett, John Brett - Pre-Raphaelite Landscape Painter, 2010, cat.no. 648, p. 215Catalogue noteBrett only discovered Cornwall in 1870 when he honeymooned there rather than going to France as he had planned because war had been declared between the French and Prussians. Brett returned to St Ives in September 1872 and spent a month there. He had previously worked largely in watercolour rather than oil but on the beach at St Ives he worked on a series of delightful, small oil paintings. He painted at least 10 oil studies and several watercolours there, many of which feature boats associated with the pilchard fishing industry. This picture portrays a pilchard driver and various gigs drawn up on Porthminster beach, with the Knill monument visible on the horizon in the centre, while another driver is shown out in the bay. View Over the Beach, St Ives was painted eight days after a comparable picture Net Day at St Ives (private collection). There is nothing laboured and no artifice in these studies of Cornish life at low tide, with fishermen busily preparing their boats as a woman looks on.
View Over the Beach, St Ives was once in the prestigious collection of Joseph Beausire, a Birkenhead businessman and Chairman of the West India and Pacific Steamship Company. Beausire was an avid art collector and supporter of the Pre-Raphaelites and had figurative pictures by Rossetti, Sandys, Burne-Jones, Strudwick and Poynter in his collection along with landscapes by Turner, Cotman and Constable. He owned several paintings by Brett, including another view of St Ives now in the Paul Mellon Centre for British Art. Beausire died in 1907 but it was not until 1934 that the main body of his collection was sold. View Over the Beach, St Ives was included in his sale in 1934 and although it is recorded as selling, it was still in the Beausire family collection in 1969 when it was sold at Sotheby's. This was a year before another member of the family made a bequest of watercolours to the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.
We are grateful to Charles Brett for his assistance with this catalogue note.