Studio RT Ltd

Description

This is a large, beautifully executed landscape of Snowdonia,North Wales, by the German heritage and very short-lived artist Frederick Boisseree, who has signed the painting in the lower right hand corner. The painting depicts the Welsh mountain Moel Siabod, with the lake below it called Llyn-y-Coryn. There are some white birds wheeling over the rocks and two sheep in the foreground.

Moel Siabod is an 872-metre (2,861 ft) mountain in Snowdonia (Eryri), Wales, located near Capel Curig, and is the highest peak in the Moelwynion range. Known as a "bare hill," it is famous for its panoramic views of 13 of the 14 highest Welsh peaks, often offering a quieter, yet challenging alternative to Snowdon. It has been a favourite subject for artists for many decades.
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Biography:
Frederick Charles Hubert Bernard Boisseree was born in 1840 in Rhenish Prussia, that part of Germany now known as the lower Rhineland. We can find no reference to when he came to Britain, but he was only listed in the Census of 1871, where he was living in Adelaide Street, North Meols, Ormskirk, Lancashire, with his wife Laura 1843-1911, who was a dressmaker born in Worcestershire, her assistant Annie Burgess and a 16 year old servant. We can find no record of a marriage, so either his name was incorrectly spelled, or they were married in Germany. We did find in the newspaper archive, an advertisement which appeared in the Derby Mercury for a couple of months in 1869, offering 'Lessons in drawing & painting in watercolours. F. Boisseree Matlock Bridge.

However, the paucity of information available about this artist is mainly due to his premature death on 5th October 1878. His residence was Bryn Afon, Betwys-y-Coed, North Wales. Probate was granted to his wife Laura Boisseree. He was buried on the 9th October in Betwys-y-Coed. Bryn Afon is a 6 bedroom stone house which sits alongside the River Llugwy in the centre of the town, but, in view of the following benefit for his widow, it is likely that it was rented..

His wife had become a widow at the age of 35 and we did find a advertisement in the Liverpool Mercury dated 19th February 1879 as follows. It was headed: 'Boisseree Art Union. Now on view in the Gallery of the Fine Arts Society, a collection of works, principally sketches and studies from nature, by the late Frederick Boisseree of Betwys-y-Coed, supplemented by a collection of oil paintings and watercolour drawings, contributed by well-known artists, for the benefit of Mr. Boisseree's widow, which will be disposed of by a Private Art Union at the conclusion of the exhibition, March 15th. W.D. Barker Hon. Sec. to the Boisseree Fund.'

Art unions were organisations created to function as patrons of art. Members would pay a small annual subscription. The union would spend the subscriptions on works of contemporary art, which were distributed among its members by means of a lottery.

According to The Dictionary of Victorian Painters by Christopher Wood, Frederick Boisseree exhibited Welsh landscape scenes at Suffolk Street and elsewhere 1876/77 from a Betwys-y-Coed address. He is also listed with similar information in the Dictionary of British Watercolour Artists by Mallalieu, but this is not quite correct as it says he was active 1870-1880 from a Betwys address, but in 1821, he was in Lancashire and in 1878, he sadly died.

The painting is mounted with washlines and is framed in a 1 inch cushion gilt frame. It will be supplied with new brass hangers, new brass picture wire and will be ready to hang.

Image size: 21 3/4 x 12 3/4 inches - 55.25cm x 32.35cm

Frame size: 30 x 22 1/8 inches - 72.2cm x 56.2cm

Medium: Watercolours

Condition: Very good. There is no foxing or damage and the mount and frame are in very good condition.

Artist's biography © Heather Phillips 1.6.2022