Large Late 19th Century Oil on Canvas Attrib. To George Adolphus Storey r.a. (British 1834-1919)

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This evocative Victorian genre scene, attributed to George Adolphus Storey, R.A., captures the moment immediately after a letter has been … Read more This evocative Victorian genre scene, attributed to George Adolphus Storey, R.A., captures the moment immediately after a letter has been delivered. In a leafy walk, a Georgian household footman in red livery recedes into the distance, his hands clasped behind his back. In the foreground, two women linger together. One presses a handkerchief to her face in distress while the other steadies and consoles her, glancing toward the opened letter lying on the path with its red wax seal still visible. The composition focuses the eye on this small but decisive object, inviting the viewer to imagine the contents and the drama it has set in motion. A near‑hidden hint electrifies the scene: two hearts carved into the tree trunk, marking this walk as a lovers’ rendezvous.

The costumes are carefully rendered in the manner of mid‑18th‑century dress: open robes worn over petticoats, lace engageantes and fichus, ribboned caps and hats, and the conical torso created by stays rather than a 19th‑century bustle. This is a Georgian subject interpreted through a romantic Victorian lens, a mode of storytelling at which Storey excelled. The delicate play of light through foliage, the sheen and texture of fabrics, and the poised, theatrical grouping of figures align closely with Storey’s refined approach to genre painting and with contemporary British interest in earlier costume.

The painting is unsigned and is offered as “attributed to George Adolphus Storey, R.A.” on stylistic grounds and comparison with his exhibited historical genre subjects. Storey, a respected member of the St John’s Wood circle, exhibited at the Royal Academy and the British Institution and was widely admired for intimate narratives of this kind. The work likely dates to circa 1880–1895, when such costume pieces were particularly fashionable among British collectors.

The canvas is housed in a later Empire‑style frame with a fluted cove, beaded sight edge, and running foliate ornament, which presents the picture handsomely on the wall and complements its period mood.

Frame: H=63.5 in. W=53 in. D=2.75 in. 50 lbs.
Canvas: H=50 in. W=40 in. D=1 in. See less