14th Jun, 2023 12:00
Fine Paintings and Works on Paper
51
⊕ MARY FEDDEN RA (BRITISH 1915-2012)
- FRED BY MOONLIGHT
signed and dated Fedden '01 lower left
gouache and watercolour
18.5 x 16.5cm; 7 1/4 x 6 1/2in
28 x 26cm; 11 x 10 1/4in (framed)
Property from a Lady
Provenance:
David Messum Fine Art, London
Purchased from the above by the father of the present owner
Chiswick resident Mary Fedden was a regular visitor to Suffolk, where she enjoyed painting the coastline and attending the Aldeburgh Festival. The present subject was one of the most photographed boats on the Suffolk coast: a traditional wooden fishing smack. On its stern are the words (abbreviated with artistic licence) Fred’s Dunwich, Lowestoft. Contemporary photos show that the full name was Fred’s Last, Dunwich, Lowestoft, and was, according to Jane Hamilton, manager of Dunwich Museum, 'a longstanding feature on Dunwich beach', describing the boats as 'good examples of post-war inshore boats used at Dunwich.' Last is a common name in Suffolk. According to Elizabeth Walne, a qualified genealogist based in East Anglia 'You can’t go far in Suffolk without bumping into one'. Although Jane Hamilton quips that '...as it's Fred's Last, more likely it was 'Fred's last boat'.' Either way, under the serenity of a full moon, Mary Fedden captured the hulking form of a rapidly vanishing way of life in which you can almost smell the fresh seabreeze.
Sold for £3,400
- FRED BY MOONLIGHT
signed and dated Fedden '01 lower left
gouache and watercolour
18.5 x 16.5cm; 7 1/4 x 6 1/2in
28 x 26cm; 11 x 10 1/4in (framed)
Property from a Lady
Provenance:
David Messum Fine Art, London
Purchased from the above by the father of the present owner
Chiswick resident Mary Fedden was a regular visitor to Suffolk, where she enjoyed painting the coastline and attending the Aldeburgh Festival. The present subject was one of the most photographed boats on the Suffolk coast: a traditional wooden fishing smack. On its stern are the words (abbreviated with artistic licence) Fred’s Dunwich, Lowestoft. Contemporary photos show that the full name was Fred’s Last, Dunwich, Lowestoft, and was, according to Jane Hamilton, manager of Dunwich Museum, 'a longstanding feature on Dunwich beach', describing the boats as 'good examples of post-war inshore boats used at Dunwich.' Last is a common name in Suffolk. According to Elizabeth Walne, a qualified genealogist based in East Anglia 'You can’t go far in Suffolk without bumping into one'. Although Jane Hamilton quips that '...as it's Fred's Last, more likely it was 'Fred's last boat'.' Either way, under the serenity of a full moon, Mary Fedden captured the hulking form of a rapidly vanishing way of life in which you can almost smell the fresh seabreeze.
Auction: Fine Paintings and Works on Paper, 14th Jun, 2023
