British Blenheim and Prince Charles Tricolour Spaniels Victorian Dogs Oil Portrait in a Wooded Country Landscapen in the Manner of John Dalby of York

Details

Description

Circa 1880 British King Charles Spaniels Victorian Dog Portrait
Late 19th Century British Oil on Panel Depicting Blenheim and Prince … Read more Circa 1880 British King Charles Spaniels Victorian Dog Portrait
Late 19th Century British Oil on Panel Depicting Blenheim and Prince Charles Tricolour Spaniels in a Wooded Country Landscape

Highlights
• British Victorian animal portrait dating to circa 1880
• Two historic King Charles Spaniels
• Chestnut-and-white Blenheim Spaniel
• Black, white and tan Prince Charles tricolour Spaniel
• In the manner of John Dalby of York (1810–1865)
• Oil on panel
• British School
• Intimate country-house scale
• Wooded parkland landscape
• Ornate gilt wood and composition frame
• Amersham Auction Rooms provenance
• Auction label retained verso
• Framed approximately 12.2 inches high x 13.4 inches wide x 1.6 inches deep
• Supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution

Introduction
An evocative late Victorian British dog portrait portraying a pair of historic King Charles Spaniels seated together against a softly painted country landscape.
Dating to circa 1880, the painting combines an especially appealing canine subject with the intimate scale and richly gilded presentation associated with traditional English interiors.
The dogs represent two contrasting historic colour varieties. The lighter animal is a chestnut-and-white Blenheim Spaniel, while its companion displays the black, white and tan colouring of the Prince Charles, or tricolour, variety.
The painting is catalogued in the manner of John Dalby of York (1810–1865), recognising its relationship with the British sporting and canine painting tradition associated with Dalby's work without asserting authorship by him.

The Spaniels
Both dogs are seated in profile and direct their attention beyond the right edge of the composition.
The Blenheim's luminous white and chestnut coat contrasts beautifully with the substantially darker colouring of its companion.
The tricolour dog combines black and white with warm tan facial markings, corresponding to the historic Prince Charles variety.
These are most appropriately understood as Victorian King Charles or toy spaniels rather than simply described as modern Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

Country House Composition
The dogs occupy the immediate foreground while the countryside unfolds gently behind them.
Mature trees, open ground and an atmospheric distance create the impression of English wooded parkland or the edge of a country estate.
No particular location is identified.
The landscape instead provides the type of refined rural setting frequently encountered in 19th-century British animal portraiture.

John Dalby Influence
John Dalby of York was particularly associated with sporting subjects, horses and dogs.
A recorded signed work entitled King Charles Spaniels Seated in a Wooded Landscape provides an especially interesting comparison with the subject of this painting.
The present work is considered later than Dalby's lifetime. The designation in the manner of John Dalby therefore describes its artistic relationship with his tradition rather than claiming that Dalby painted it.

Dating
Circa 1880, late 19th century.
The painting itself is undated. The circa 1880 dating represents an approximate assessment consistent with its previous late-19th-century auction description.

Provenance
Amersham Auction Rooms, Buckinghamshire, 2024, Lot 218
Acquired from the above sale by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Dimensions
Framed
Height: 31 cm / 12.2 inches
Width: 34 cm / 13.4 inches
Depth: 4 cm / 1.6 inches

Frame
Presented within an ornate gilt wood and composition frame incorporating raised laurel-leaf and berry-style decoration.
The layered gilt moulding gives this compact painting considerable decorative wall presence.
The frame forms part of the current presentation and is not represented as original.

Collecting Interest
A particularly attractive choice for collectors of Victorian dog paintings, historic canine portraiture and British country-house art.
Its intimate dimensions also make it highly adaptable for a library, study, bedroom, hallway, smaller wall space or layered salon-style display.

Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution
The artwork will be supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, recording the artwork’s catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated, exhibition history and details of the sale. This document accompanies the work as part of its ongoing ownership and provenance record.

Attribution and Research
The historical observations, provenance research, attribution analysis, dating and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. They are offered in good faith as informed scholarly assessments based upon the available physical evidence, historic inscriptions, comparative research, published reference material and our experience within the international fine art market.
These observations should be understood as professional opinions rather than definitive statements of fact or guarantees of authorship, attribution, date, origin, provenance or historical interpretation. As with all historic works of art, future documentary discoveries, technical examination, conservation analysis or advances in academic research may refine, expand or revise current interpretations.

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