John William Inchbold

John William Inchbold (1830-1888) Lake of Geneva: looking West near Territet signed 'J.W.Inchbold.' (lower left) oil on canvas 14 x 20¾ in. (35.5 x 52.7 cm.) with Peter Nahum at the Leicester Gallery, 2003, no. 16. William Michael Rossetti, 1857, m.s., Yale University Library. A. Staley, The Pre-Raphaelite Landscape, Yale, 2001, pp. 158, 166. Leeds, Leeds City Art Galleries, John William Inchbold, Pre- Raphaelite Landscape Artist, 1993, number untraced. Cardiff, National Museums and Galleries of Wales, Victorian Dreamers, October 2005-January 2006, number untraced. Inchbold was first inspired to visit Switzerland by John Ruskin, an early patron. He retired near Montreux on the North side of Lake Geneva to live out the last eight years of his life painting pictures which, according to Christopher Newall, 'abandon all sense of chronological sequence or topographical significance in favour of purely aesthetic qualities which address ... the spectator in a strongly sensuous way'.

John William Inchbold (1830-1888) From the Laureate's home Watercolour Signed lower left 17cm x 24.5cm Bears inscription to mount FROM THE LAUREATE'S HOME, To a devout lover of 'Alfred Tennyson, the Poet', John Dennis. From an affectionate friend JW Inchbold Provenance: John Dennis and thence by descent condition report Laid down, discolouring to paper, minor foxing in areas, would benefit from cleaning

John William Inchbold (1830-1888)
Vouverie, France
Add. Notes: indistinctly signed, inscribed and dated 'VOUVERIE [?]. J.W. INCHBOLD./18...' (lower centre) pencil and watercolour, heightened with touches of bodycolour, on buff paper 9 1/8 x 14 in. (23.2 x 35.6 cm.)
Notes: For another work by the artist, see lot 126.
Pre-lot Text: VARIOUS PROPERTIES

John William Inchold (1830-1888) Swiss mountain scene signed 'J.W. INCHBOLD' (lower right) pencil and watercolour, heightened with touches of white 14 x 9 7/8 in. (35.6 x 25.1 cm.) Special Notice Provenance with The Moss Galleries, London, March 1989. Lot Notes Inchbold is one of the most original and sympathetic of the manylandscape artists in the Pre-Raphaelite circle. Born in Leeds,where he received his initial training, he came to London to studylithography and entered the Royal Academy Schools. His earlywatercolours are loose and atmospheric, but in the 1850s he came,like so many, under the influence of Ruskin, who encouraged a moredetailed approach and an interest in Alpine subjects. Inchbold paidhis first visit to Switzerland in 1856. Other journeys followed,and in the late 1870s, driven by poverty and lack of professionalsuccess, he settled at Montreux on Lake Geneva. This remained hisbase until his death in 1888, and Swiss subjects account for mostof his later work. The present watercolour, though undated, appears to be a product ofInchbold's later years. The Road to Sepey, a watercolour in LeedsCity Art Gallery, is similarly undated and offers close parallelsin terms of size and composition (see John William Inchbold, exh,Leeds City Art Gallery, 1993, cat. no. 54, illustrated p. 47).Christopher Newall has written aptly of the 'ethereal andatmospheric qualities' of the late Alpine watercolours, 'Washes ofthin colour are applied in broad areas, fused together andoverlapping while still wet on the sheet, to give a constantvariety of effect and sense of luminosity. Occasionally trees or abuilding ... are drawn with a calculated precision.... These areasof detail serve as keys to the overall perspective ... and ascounterpoints to the prevailing indistinctness' (Leeds exh. cat.,p. 23).

John William Inchbold (1830-1888) Saint Martin in the Alps signed with monogram and inscribed 'SAINT MARTIN IN THE ALPS.'(lower centre) watercolour and bodycolour with scratching out 6 5/8 x 9 5/8 in. (16.8 x 24.5 cm.) Lot Notes A delicate and atmospheric work by one of Pre-Raphaelitism'smost-underrated followers. Inchbold studied watercolour paintingunder Louis Haghe, before entering the Royal Academy schools in1847. He was a friend of John Ruskin, and an early adherent toRuskin's belief in fidelity to nature - a technical aim thatfurthered a spiritual credence; through works like Inchbold's Studyin March - In Early Spring (1855, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) we cantruly understand Ruskin's claim that we can see God throughNature's 'infinite variety'. Inchbold visited Europe many timesthroughout his career. As he matured his work became moreimpressionistic but lost none of its fine sensibility.