CHARLES OPPENHEIMER R.S.A., R.S.W. (BRITISH 1876-1961) §
BRIDGE OF DEE, GALLOWAY
£18,750
Scottish Paintings & Sculpture
Auction: Evening Sale: 10 June 2021 | From 19:00
Description
Signed, oil on canvas
Dimensions
102cm x 152cm (40in x 60in)
Footnote
Exhibited: Royal Academy 1940
Dicksee & Co, Glasgow, 1940
Note:
It is said that when the weather was dull, Charles Oppenheimer would fish, while on sunnier days he would spend his time painting. This impressive river scene captures Oppenheimer’s familiarity with, and affection for, the rivers around his Kirkcudbright home. The composition was painted from the riverbank overlooking the Bridge of Dee, Galloway, a charming scene that remains virtually unchanged today. Oppenheimer preferred to work with a warm palette to evoke the characteristic pale golden light that so often illuminates his paintings, qualities that are exemplified here. This painting was amongst the sixty-one exhibited by Oppenheimer at the Royal Academy, and demonstrates his broad, expressive brushwork and sensitive approach to his subject-matter.
Oppenheimer relocated to Kirkcudbright in the 1930s and quickly set about exploring and recording his surroundings. He soon became a key member of the Kirkcudbright School, which from 1850-1950 flourished as a significant Scottish artistic hub. Oppenheimer integrated himself within the local painting community, yet amongst the Kirkcudbright School his style remains distinctive. His work has been described as ‘direct, tranquil and contemplative’, a natural consequence of the fastidious discipline with which he approached his painting practice: Oppenheimer committed to long, intensive hours at the easel in order to realise his vision. By the outbreak of the Second World War, he had become an artist of international repute, and his work was exhibited throughout Europe, as well as in New Zealand and North and South America. To his friends, he advised that he would ‘always use the best paints, brushes and canvasses, because you never know when you will do your finest work.’