JOSEPH CRAWHALL R.S.W (SCOTTISH 1861-1913)
'WARE HARE'
£2,250
Scottish Paintings & Sculpture
Auction: 04 December 2020 at 18:00 GMT
Description
Signed, pen and ink and watercolour
Dimensions
22cm x 18cm (8.5in x 7in)
Footnote
Provenance: Leonard Gow and thence by descent.
Note: A contemporary label verso suggests two titles as above and 'The Huntsman.'
Joseph Crawhall, a watercolour virtuoso, is best known for his highly personal and, at times, witty depictions of animals and birds. Traditionally grouped with the Glasgow Boys, Crawhall shared in the group’s collective appreciation for light, colour, composition and design. Unlike his contemporaries, however, he aimed to simplify his compositions, capturing everyday scenes with few lines and minimal brushstrokes. Sir John Lavery once said of his friend, ‘No artist I have known could say more with fewer brushstrokes’.
Originally from Northumberland, Crawhall worked throughout Scotland and met fellow artist and Glasgow Boy E.A. Walton through his brother-in-law; it was through this connection that he began his association with the group. Although he studied at King's College London and trained briefly in Paris in 1882 with Aimé Morot, Crawhall found painting with Glasgow Boys E.A. Walton, James Guthrie and Arthur Melville to be far more instrumental to his artistic development. Despite their different backgrounds and artistic training, the Glasgow Boys, who were working in and around Glasgow during the 1880s-1900s, were united through their shared passions for painterly technique and a rejection of academic values.
Crawhall, too, went against the accepted standards. His sensitive depictions of animals moved beyond the sentimentality of earlier Victorian painters, and instead reflect a deep understanding and respect for his subject matter. A somewhat difficult and taciturn personality, prone to introversion and monosyllabic communication, Crawhall preferred the undemanding company of animals. Despite this, his work is often wrought with humour and wit. Ware Hare is a fine example of this, with the rider’s mouth cartoonishly agape and the hare retreating unbothered, proving that not all of Crawhall’s sporting pictures were intended as serious studies. ‘A review of Crawhall’s work without consideration of his frankly humorous drawings would be incomplete. Taciturn as he was socially, he was ever on the alert for the funny side of life.’- Adrian Bury
His paintings of animals show a profound and highly personal knowledge of each creature. He drew mainly from memory over a period of several weeks- a process which began with weeks and months of concentration and nervous exhaustion. Much of his life was spent either in amateur sporting activities or studying them, and he was also a breeder of horses. This passion and insight led Crawhall to create impressive studies of horses, like that of The Whipper-In, where he exquisitely captures the creature’s character and nobility. His love of horses and animals drew him to travel, first to Morocco and later to Spain and North Africa. These trips served as further fodder for his watercolours. In later life, he accompanied Sir John Lavery on trips to Tangier, where Crawhall would spend his days riding horses and showcasing his exceptional equestrian skills.
Crawhall spent the last years of life in Yorkshire and died in London in May 1913. His obituary, printed by The Times on May 28th, stated
‘His work, unlike that of many artists who try to produce similar effects with slight effort, was the result of profound knowledge, elaborate care, and a keen sense both of colour and form; it therefore will have a permanent value.’
Today, his work features in the collections of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Burrell Collection in Glasgow. However, Crawhall was known to destroy work that he was unhappy with, thus making his work even more rare and precious.