196 - Herbert Edward Butler,

Herbert Edward Butler, British 1861-1931- The Three Pilchards, Polperro; watercolour on paper, signed 'H.E. BUTLER' (lower right), bears label inscribed '"Polperro" / H. BUTLER R.I. / for Emma Richardson' attached to the backing board, 25 x 35.5 cm. Provenance: Emma Richardson; thence by descent. Private Collection, UK. Note: Butler trained at the Royal Academy Schools and settled in Polperro in the late 1890s. In 1907 he established a school of painting there, along with Arthur Romilly Fedden (1875-1939). He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1909 and is best known for his paintings and watercolours of Cornish life and scenery. The present work depicts The Three Pilchards, the historic inn in the heart of Polperro, reputedly the village's oldest public house. The pub's name reflects Polperro's long association with the pilchard fishery, which was central to the village's economy. Butler's views of Polperro capture the character of the village at a time when its fishing and harbour traditions remained an important part of local life. A comparable watercolour by Butler of Polperro sold at Woolley & Wallis, 11 March 2015, lot 251 (£420 hammer).