Lot #10: C.1880 Victorian Cornish Seaside Coastal Donkey Riders Naive School Oil Painting On Board

Some light frame wear as pictured. Stunning painting. Devon + Cornwall Gallery Stamp on back. James Harris (1730-1799), ‘established 1770’, James Harris junr (1771-1846), painter, glazier and oil and colour merchant in 1831, James Harris & Son until 1846, house painters, carvers, gilders, and paper hangers, Henry Marmaduke Harris 1846-1882, painter, glazier, oil and colour warehouse, later also artists’ colourman, Harris & Sons 1882-1944, Harris & Sons (Plymouth) Ltd 1944-2001, art decorators and house painters, picture framemakers and gilders, printsellers, artists’ colourmen and stationers, picture dealers and restorers, later shopfitters. At Park St, Plymouth 1812, The Parade by 1822-1831, 1 Union St by 1836-1866 or later, 197 Union St (Devon and Cornwall Gallery/Galleries) by 1871-1889, 70 George St 1889-1941, Endsleigh Works, Endsleigh Place by 1928. The history of the old established Plymouth business, Harris & Sons, has been traced by Nigel Overton, formerly City Heritage Curator at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery, in a blog post, 14 May 2020, ‘Harris & Sons of Plymouth, Devon: From House Painters & Glaziers to Decorators, Furnishers, Picture Frame Makers, Gallery Owners and sometime suppliers of Artists’ Materials, Fancy Goods and Stationery’ (see https://emilycummingharris.blogs.auckland.ac.nz/2020/05/14/harris-sons-of-plymouth-devon/). Overton’s account forms the basis for the following history, with additional information from specific sources where referenced. By the late 19th century Harris & Sons was advertising as a family business established in 1770. It was founded by James Harris (1730-99) and continued by his sons, John Harris (d.1821) and James Pasco Harris (1771-1846), known as James junr (Middleton, p.195, see Sources below). In 1822 James jnr was listed as painter, glazier, glass, oil and colour merchant at The Parade in Plymouth, with Park St as his residence (N. Taperell, The Plymouth... Directory, 1822). He was made bankrupt in 1831, when recorded as a painter, glazier and oil and colour merchant (London Gazette 21 October 1831, p.2177). His freehold premises at no.23 The Parade were put up for auction the following year, when described as occupied by the business for the last 56 years in the painting, glazing and colour trade (Plymouth and Devonport Weekly Journal 29 March 1832). There is no evidence to suggest this bankruptcy related to his son, James Cobham Harris (1794-1876) (see below), who was in business as an artist from another address. Dimensions: 13.75" x 16.75" Pickup category timeslot {A}