Lot #780: Two Vintage 1900s UK Art Postcards - "A Hopeless Dawn" Frank Bramley (Eyre & Spottiswoode Ltd.) - "Duke of Wellington" Goya (Medici Society, Ltd.)

Two Vintage 1900s UK Art Postcards (1) One Vintage UK 1900s Art Postcard, unused, showing a young woman weeping on the lap of an older woman with title caption "A Hopeless Dawn. Frank Bramley, R.A. (Tate Gallery)". This richly coloured postcard indicates the publisher as "Eyre & Spottiswoode Ltd. Woodbury Series, No. 600. Printed in England." No Stamp. Never Postally Used. No Message. This Eyre & Spottiswoode card (No. 600) reproduces one of the most famous and emotionally charged paintings of the Newlyn School. The Artwork, "A Hopeless Dawn", was painted by Frank Bramley in 1888. This piece is an iconic part of the Tate Gallery collection, representing a pivot toward "Social Realism" in late-Victorian British art. It is the definitive masterpiece of the Newlyn School, a group of artists who settled in a Cornish fishing village to capture the raw, often tragic reality of life by the sea. The scene depicts a cottage interior at dawn. A young woman kneels in despair against an older woman (likely her mother or mother-in-law). Through the window, the cold light of morning reveals a stormy sea, confirming that the fishermen—the husband and son—will not be returning. The extinguished candle on the table and the open Bible symbolize the loss of hope and the search for spiritual comfort in the face of nature’s indifference. It is a powerful study in grief that resonated deeply with a British public well-acquainted with the dangers of the maritime industry. (2) One Vintage UK 1900s Art Postcard, unused, showing a richly uniformed general, with caption "Duke of Wellington - Duque de Ciudad Rodrigo (1769-1833) Goya pinz. 1812. Collection Duke of Leeds". This richly coloured postcard indicates the publisher as "Medici Society, Ld., No. 49, Engraved and Printed in England, ". No Stamp. Never Postally Used. No Message. This Medici Society postcard (No. 49) is a significant piece of both art history and Napoleonic heritage. It reproduces one of the most famous portraits of Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, painted during the height of the Peninsular War by the Spanish master Francisco Goya. The portrait was painted in 1812 (as noted by the "Goya pinz. 1812" caption), shortly after Wellington's victory at the Battle of Salamanca and his triumphant entry into Madrid. The caption lists him as the "Duque de Ciudad Rodrigo," the Spanish dukedom granted to him for liberating that fortified city. This highlights his status as a multi-national hero. Goya is famous for his psychological depth. While Wellington wears a "richly uniformed" red coat with numerous medals (including the Order of the Golden Fleece), Goya reportedly captured a sense of weariness and tension in the Duke's face—reflecting the immense strain of the campaign. The "Collection Duke of Leeds" refers to the family that owned the painting for generations before it was eventually acquired by the National Gallery in London (famously becoming the subject of a high-profile theft in the 1960s). The Medici Society used a sophisticated four-color process that was often hand-corrected against the original painting to ensure its accuracy. The Medici Society cards were intended to be "the next best thing" to owning the original art. They were often used in schools and libraries to teach history and aesthetics. Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}