Throughout the year James Harvey British Art will be mounting exhibitions in London and New York. The programme will be varied and representative of both our oil and watercolour holdings. The following pages illustrate the first three exhibitions – all of which will be accompanied by an individual catalogue or brochure.

WILLIAM EYRE
A Gentleman’s Travels

William Eyre (1891-1979) was a landscape painter of extraordinary talent who exhibited at the Croydon Art Society for the best part of twenty years, with the likes of Hesketh Hubbard, PRBA, ROI, FSA, Jack Merriott, RI, William Watkins, RI, William Fryer and Cicely Mary Barker.

In 1971, Eyre moved to North Wales where he remained for the rest of his life, however he still regularly contributed to the Croydon Art Society’s exhibitions, although he no longer put is works up for sale. His works record the myriad of places that he visited, not only in England but on the Continent, and cover all seasons, but it was the sublime landscapes of Northern Wales that proved to be his final and most haunting inspiration; he died there in 1979.

Eyre’s works show considerable skill in the handling of both oil and watercolour, two very different mediums, and his landscapes have even been likened to Whistler. His confidence, sense of drama and simplicity of technique has also drawn comparisons with Cotman and there is a clear link to be made with the work of Edward Seago.

CAROLINE VERNON
A Lady of Leisure

This delightful collection of watercolours illustrates the social grace and skills that were part of everyday life for the Victorian Lady. The artist’s depiction of her travels serve as a pictorial diary of a lavish age in which fashion and decoration are combined, providing a personal insight into daily life of the well to do.

The opulent interiors of both the artist’s home in Farming Woods, Northamptonshire and other distinguished homes, serve not only as an anecdotal record of the people and how they lived, but also provide a contemporary record of what would have been modern design, showing furniture, picture and textiles. The interiors are perhaps the most enlightening subjects, particularly, in the houses subsequently demolished such as Teddesley, Staffordshire.

Caroline Vernon nee Fazakerley married the Hon. Gowran Charles Vernon who was a barrister at law and recorder at Lincoln. He was the son of Robert Vernon Smith, 1st Baron Lyvedon of Lyvedon. The artist’s privileged background undoubtedly afforded her ample time to refine her painting technique. Her eclectic choice of subjects that range from the grand houses and fashionable destinations provided her with endless opportunities of interesting and varied subjects. Her work has a softness of touch, which she combines with a naive charm that is very personal. Unmistakably feminine, her eye for detail elevates her above that of talented amateur, a label, so often given to this school of artists that developed from a privileged upbringing.

CHARLES CHURCH
Contemporary Sporting Artist

Following in the footsteps of Stubbs, Munnings, and Edwards, Charles Church has already made a reputation for himself as one of Britain's leading traditional contemporary sporting artists and has built up an international following. His first solo exhibition in London in 2005 was endorsed by HRH The Prince of Wales who described him as "a very remarkable young artist" with a "unique understanding of his subject matter".

Charles' work embraces the tradition of past masters but also has a very personal approach that is truly unique. His recognisable style blends both technical understanding and a sense of aesthetic integrity establishing his work as a benchmark for a new generation of sporting artists. Also, his determination to work en plein air imparts a rich, fresh and painterly style that is rarely seen in the modern age.

The exhibition in October will show a select group of paintings and sketches that illustrate Church's development and passion for his chosen subject, not purely equestrian portraiture but a variety of themes from horses and hounds to an impressive array of landscapes.