MARY WOOD (fl.1812-1842) Illustrations of British Song Birds painted for Eleanor Mary Dennistoun by her affectionate aunt Mary Wood . Lagarie, Dunbartonshire 1842. Large 2 (544 x 452mm). Calligraphic title, 31 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS OF BIRDS IN WATERCOLOUR AND BODYCOLOUR with occasional black chalk preparation still visible, on 21 card sheets, the figure on the final sheet sketched in outline only; paper marked J. Whatman and J. Whatman Turkey Mill dated 1837 and 1838, protective interleaves, all leaves guarded. (Very slight staining at upper margin of title and a few first and final sheets, faint smudges on one sheet.) 19th-century tan morocco gilt with elaborate wide border and central interlacing-pattern panel, wide gilt inner dentelle, pink watered silk liners and endleaves, gilt edges (a few small stains and darkening). Provenance : Eleanor Mary Dennistoun (painted for); E.J. MacNair, Bath, great-grandchild of Eleanor Mary Dennistoun (label on rear endleaf). A FINE ALBUM OF BIRD WATERCOLOURS DELICATELY PAINTED FOR A YOUNG LADY OF A WELL-ESTABLISHED SCOTTISH FAMILY by her aunt. Eleanor Mary Dennistoun was the daughter of Alexander Dennistoun (1790-1874), merchant in Glasgow, and Member of Parliament for Co. Dunbarton in 1835-37. On his retirement, Alexander spent most of each year at the family villa, Lagarie, on the banks of Loch Gare, Dunbartonshire, and it was here at Lagarie that Mary Wood painted these song birds for her neice, Eleanor Mary. Ten years after the gift of these drawings, Eleanor Mary married William Young Sellar, the great classical scholar who held professorships at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Dublin; she died in Edinburgh in 1918. Little is known of her aunt Mary Wood, but she appears to be the Mary Dennistoun who married Walter Wood in 1812 at Lanark Barony, where her niece was also married in 1832. Mary Wood is not otherwise known as a bird illustrator, but she clearly was an accomplished amateur. The birds are accurately and delicately rendered, set in backgrounds of trees and flowers which are equally finely painted, and show off her skill as an ornithological and botanical artist. The settings for several of the birds are also highly appropriate: a goldfinch is placed in thistles, where they extract the seeds; the goldcrest is in a pine tree, where they are often found; and other birds are placed in blossoming trees which flower at the time of their arrival. The image created is of beautiful song birds heralding their arrival in spring and celebrating the abundance of chestnut, laburnum, wild rose, tulip trees, and bramble in the Scottish countryside at Lagarie in summer. Other birds depicted are a warbler, wrens, skylark, blackbird, song thrush, mistlethrush, robins, chaffinches, linnet, yellowhammers, and bullfinches. While painting was a common leisure activity among the upper classes in the 19th century, paintings of such refinement, richly bound in elaborately gilt morocco are quite uncommon. The album attests to the practiced observation and skill of Mary Wood, as well as to the comfort and security of life at Lagarie. We are grateful to Christine Jackson for her help in researching this rare album.
MARY WOOD (fl.1812-1842) Illustrations of British Song Birds painted for Eleanor Mary Dennistoun by her affectionate aunt Mary Wood . Lagarie, Dunbartonshire 1842. Large 2 (544 x 452mm). Calligraphic title, 31 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS OF BIRDS IN WATERCOLOUR AND BODYCOLOUR with occasional black chalk preparation still visible, on 21 card sheets, the figure on the final sheet sketched in outline only; paper marked J. Whatman and J. Whatman Turkey Mill dated 1837 and 1838, protective interleaves, all leaves guarded. (Very slight staining at upper margin of title and a few first and final sheets, faint smudges on one sheet.) 19th-century tan morocco gilt with elaborate wide border and central interlacing-pattern panel, wide gilt inner dentelle, pink watered silk liners and endleaves, gilt edges (a few small stains and darkening). Provenance : Eleanor Mary Dennistoun (painted for); E.J. MacNair, Bath, great-grandchild of Eleanor Mary Dennistoun (label on rear endleaf). A FINE ALBUM OF BIRD WATERCOLOURS DELICATELY PAINTED FOR A YOUNG LADY OF A WELL-ESTABLISHED SCOTTISH FAMILY by her aunt. Eleanor Mary Dennistoun was the daughter of Alexander Dennistoun (1790-1874), merchant in Glasgow, and Member of Parliament for Co. Dunbarton in 1835-37. On his retirement, Alexander spent most of each year at the family villa, Lagarie, on the banks of Loch Gare, Dunbartonshire, and it was here at Lagarie that Mary Wood painted these song birds for her neice, Eleanor Mary. Ten years after the gift of these drawings, Eleanor Mary married William Young Sellar, the great classical scholar who held professorships at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Dublin; she died in Edinburgh in 1918. Little is known of her aunt Mary Wood, but she appears to be the Mary Dennistoun who married Walter Wood in 1812 at Lanark Barony, where her niece was also married in 1832. Mary Wood is not otherwise known as a bird illustrator, but she clearly was an accomplished amateur. The birds are accurately and delicately rendered, set in backgrounds of trees and flowers which are equally finely painted, and show off her skill as an ornithological and botanical artist. The settings for several of the birds are also highly appropriate: a goldfinch is placed in thistles, where they extract the seeds; the goldcrest is in a pine tree, where they are often found; and other birds are placed in blossoming trees which flower at the time of their arrival. The image created is of beautiful song birds heralding their arrival in spring and celebrating the abundance of chestnut, laburnum, wild rose, tulip trees, and bramble in the Scottish countryside at Lagarie in summer. Other birds depicted are a warbler, wrens, skylark, blackbird, song thrush, mistlethrush, robins, chaffinches, linnet, yellowhammers, and bullfinches. While painting was a common leisure activity among the upper classes in the 19th century, paintings of such refinement, richly bound in elaborately gilt morocco are quite uncommon. The album attests to the practiced observation and skill of Mary Wood, as well as to the comfort and security of life at Lagarie. We are grateful to Christine Jackson for her help in researching this rare album.
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.jpg "Quelle: Christie's")
