242 - Arthur Boyd Houghton,

Arthur Boyd Houghton, British 1836-1875- The Apothecary Shop; oil on canvas, 25.2 x 30.6 cm. Provenance: Anon. sale, Christie's, London, 21 October 1977, lot 14, described as 'The Romance of a Crusader: A scene from Sir Walter Scott's Tales of a Crusader'. Anon. sale, Sotheby's, London, 23 April 1986, lot 149, where purchased by Private Collection, UK. Note: Born in Madras, India, to an East India Company Marine draughtsman, Boyd Houghton was a great traveller, having visited America and Russia, where he would illustrate several volumes. He is primarily known for his illustrations and wood engravings, and he was greatly influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites. Often his paintings, poetic and realistic at once, are based on his engravings. This doesn't seem to be the case of the present lot, which is an original composition. 'The Apothecary Shop' shows the aforementioned Pre-Raphaelite influence in the subject and figures, with the knight in armour recalling Medieval legends, whilst the reclining woman at right is reminiscent of Orientalist paintings. Indeed, the reclining figure recalls that in a work entitled 'Lalla rookh' which sold at Christie's, London, on 30 September 2021, lot 249 (£18,750).