Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are delighted to offer for auction this finely detailed and well executed watercolour by the artist E. ST. JOHN, who has signed the painting in the lower left hand corner with his pseudonym of F. CATANO. The painting depicts an arab street scene, with a mosque in the central background, showing the tower from whence the muezzin issued the call to prayer. There are a large group of figures in the street outside the mosque and two shops either side of the street. At the one on the left, there are four figures examining the wares, which are contained in jars and baskets. There two camel riders holding lances coming down the street, and a mother and child in the foreground.

E. St. John is mostly known as Edwin, but after research on genealogical sites, we can find no Edwin St. John listed as an artist, so either he was not Edwin, or that too is a pseudonym. Possiubly, from what Jeremy Wood says in his book, it is a pseudonym for one of the Earp family from Brighton.

To quote from Jeremy Wood's book 'Hidden Talents', 'Edwin St. John was a painter of landscapes including continental lake and town scenes. His work shows considerable similarity to that of the Earp family and he may well have been connected with these Brighton artists. Edwin St. John's watercolours were often large and depicted lake and town scenes in France, Switzerland and Italy - his best work usually dating from the 1870s and 1880s. He does not appear to have exhibited in London but his work was shown at Elands Art Gallery, Exeter, in 1907. This artist seems also to have painted under the pseudonym of F. Catano.' There is an illustration of a work by E. St. John on Page 134 of this book.

About F. Catano he also states, 'The distinct style of this artist's work suggests that it is probably a pseudonym for the painter who usually signs 'E. St. John'. The subjects are often Italian lake views and Eastern desert scenes. He does not appear to have exhibited'. There is an illustration of a work by F. Catano on Page 23 of the book.

Works signed F. Catano are listed on findartinfo.com (71 listings), artnet.com (49), artprice.com (99) and arcadja.com (113). The arab scenes seem to achieve the highest prices. Indeed a large watercolour of the Mosque Seyideh Tyeinah in Cairo achieved £1,070 in 2005 and another arab scene achieved £1,250 at Christie's in 2010.

The painting has been newly double mounted in two tone to complement and has been newly framed in a 1 1/8" gilt frame as shown. It is ready to hang.

Image size: 16 3/8" x 10 5/8" - 41.5cm x 27cm

Frame size: 25 3/4" x 20" - 65.4cm x 51cm

Medium: Watercolours

Condition: Excellent, no foxing or fading. The mounts and frame are new.