Benjamin Barker 1776-1838 (BRITISH)Antique Oil Painting, Leger & Sons Provenance

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Benjamin Barker (BRITISH) 1776-1838 Antique Oil Painting. Provenance with J. Leger & Sons, noted dealers. Signed Classic British Landscape Painting on CanvasBenjamin Barker 1776-1838 (BRITISH)Antique Oil Painting, Leger & Sons ProvenanceSize Of Canvas: 18" X 22"Size With Frame: 22 1/4" X 26 1/4"Signed, classic British landscape showing two cattle drovers in a stream bed with their livestock. A few sheep are to the right. A distant landscape at the right shows two crofter cottages with a mountain in the back drop. A very nice and typical example of Benjamin Barker's work. This Georgian era painting is very evocative of its time period and survives in very nice condition. Signed "B. Barker" on rock at right side.Artist Bio:Benjamin Barker (1776-1838), was a noted landscape painter, son of artist Benjamin Barker (1720-1793), and brother of artist Thomas Barker (1767-1847), called 'Barker of Bath, and brother of artist Joseph Barker (1782-1809). He resided at Bath with most of his extended family. This 'remarkable dynasty' of artists made a name for themselves in the fashionable society that was Bath during Georgian England when society migrated to the town for the season to drink the waters and socialize with one another. Some of Barker's most enthusiastic supporters dubbed him 'the English Poussin' as a result of his beautiful landscapes. Benjamin's success in Bath was such that he was able to purchase a villa on Bathwick Hill overlooking the town and was even visited by Queen Charlotte (1744-1818), the Duke of Clarence (1765-1837) and Princess Elizabeth (1770-1740) in 1817. He exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1800 and 1831 and held joint exhibitions with his brother Thomas in Bath in 1828, 1829 and 1830 at the Masonic Hall. During his years as a young artist Barker went on sketching tours of northern Wales, Yorkshire, Kent, Dorset and Devon. During the years 1813-20 he was a large exhibitor of views and landscape compositions at the Watercolour Society. He was also an exhibitor at the British Institution. Despite Benjamin Barker's limited travels within Wales and England's south west, Barker's work can be linked to the oeuvre of English artists Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788), Benjamin West (1738-1820), Richard Wilson (1714-1782) and John Constable (1776-1837). On top of these favorable associations Barker shares stylistic and philosophical similarities with earlier Continental artists such as Salvator Rosa (1615-1673), Jacob van Ruisdael (1628-1682) and even Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) in their shared celebration of the power of nature. Although a relatively small town compared to London, in Bath, Barker was acquainted with many of the leading artists of his day including the President of the Royal Academy, Benjamin West. West was an admirer of his work and even went as far as to describe him as a superior landscape painter than his brother Thomas who was better known nationally. It has even been suggested that Barker spent some considerable amount of time with the young J. M W. Turner (1775-1851) during a sketching tour of Wales. These acquaintances were particularly important for the young artist as Benjamin's only instruction came from his brother who favored the picturesque example of landscape painting that was set by Thomas Gainsborough in which works were drawn from nature. Additionally Barker also took a great deal of inspiration from the wilds of Wales, much like Richard Wilson.Condition Report:Relined and conserved at some point in its long life. Excellent, stable paint layer with virtually no craquelure. Very likely cleaned and revarnished. One minor 3/4" light line scuff near the rock at the right mentioned for accuracy and which can be touched with some varnish but could also be left as is. UV light examination shows a minor and light smattering of touch ups affecting less than 2% of the surface, which is remarkable given the age of this painting. Very old frame with inlaid corner braces seen on the reverse. Hand chamfered stretcher bars. This frame has been with the ... read more

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