£2,016
Auction: 12 October 2022 at 11:00 BST
watercolour and pencil, initialled lower left HSM, signed and dated lower right in pencil H. S. MARKS/ 1867
Note: Influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, Henry Stacy Marks trained at the Royal Academy in 1851 before studying in Paris the following year. Much of his early works focus on Shakespearean and medieval subjects. These works proved popular with many patrons. In the 1860s he undertook work for William Burges, Minton, stained glass manufacturers Clayton & Bell and the artist Lawrence Alma Tadema. During this time, he was also approached by the Gaiety Theatre in London to produce a frieze for the Proscenium Arch. The Theatre began as a music hall but became known for hosting pantomime and musical burlesque performances. From the late 1860s, the venue played an essential role in the development of modern musical comedy, and Mark’s playful and charming compositions were a setting for spectators to marvel at.