Arthur Wardle (1864-1949) Exmoor Signed British Moorland Landscape Oil Painting

Arthur Wardle (1864-1949) Exmoor Signed British Moorland Landscape Oil Painting Uncommon signed Exmoor landscape by celebrated British painter Arthur Wardle. His documented work on Exmoor provides important historical context for the subject. Highlights: • Arthur Wardle (British, 1864–1949) • Signed *Exmoor* landscape • Late 19th / early 20th century • Oil on canvas laid on board • Direct documented connection with Exmoor • Uncommon standalone landscape • Burstow & Hewett provenance • Traditional gilt frame Introduction A particularly interesting signed landscape by one of the leading British animal painters of the late Victorian and early 20th-century periods. The work depicts open Exmoor moorland with heather, rough vegetation and rocky terrain beneath an expansive sky. Although animals dominate Wardle’s reputation, independent landscapes and numerous moorland compositions are documented within his oeuvre. His practice of making oil sketches on Exmoor gives the traditional title of the present painting particular significance. Catalogue Note Wardle’s landscape technique is evident in the richly broken foreground brushwork and assured atmospheric recession. Relevant documented works include *Setters on a Moor; and Pointers by a Stream* and *A River Landscape*, the latter carrying provenance from the 1994 Sotheby’s Wardle studio dispersal. *A Rocky Pathway, Dartmoor*, retained by Wardle and subsequently passing by family descent, provides further important evidence of his independent south-west English landscape practice. Provenance: Private collection. Burstow & Hewett, *Fine Art and Sculpture*, 17 November 2022, lot 525. Acquired from the above by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD. Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution: The artwork will be supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, recording the artwork’s catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated, and details of the sale. This document accompanies the work as part of its ongoing ownership and provenance record. Attribution and Research: The historical observations, provenance research, attribution analysis and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. They are offered in good faith as informed scholarly assessments based upon the available evidence, comparative research, published reference material and our experience within the international fine art market. These observations should be understood as professional opinions rather than definitive statements of fact or guarantees of authorship, attribution, date, origin, provenance or historical interpretation. As with all historic works of art, future documentary discoveries, technical examination, conservation analysis or advances in academic research may refine, expand or revise current interpretations. Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® Specialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art. Every artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market. We are committed to offering collectors works of artistic and historical merit accompanied by transparent provenance research, detailed catalogue descriptions and professional, client-focused service. Additional photographs and further information are available upon request.