153 - William Shayer, Snr.,

William Shayer, Snr., British 1787-1879- Fisherfolk beside a cottage on the shore, with boats beyond; oil on canvas, signed and indistinctly dated 'W. J. Shayer 18...[?]' (lower right), 31.1 x 41.2 cm. Provenance: Private Collection, UK. Note: Shayer was celebrated as a painter of rural scenes, combining both landscape and figure studies in a manner which recalls the works of George Morland (1763-1804). His paintings often depict modest subjects set within a landscape, with the small scale of figures emphasising the significance of the countryside around them. Shayer's work very much idealises the peace and tranquility of this rural existence against the threat of rapid urbanisation in Victorian England. Similar coastal scenes by Shayer include paintings which sold at Christie's, London, on 11 June 2004, lot 62 (£17,925), and at Bonhams, London, on 15 November 2005, lot 38 (£19,000 hammer).