Late Victorian King Charles Spaniels Animal Portrait Oil on Panel c.1880

Late Victorian King Charles Spaniels Animal Portrait Oil on Panel Circa 1880 Antique British Painting of Blenheim and Prince Charles Tricolour Dogs in the Manner of John Dalby Highlights: • Antique late Victorian animal portrait • British School, circa 1880 • Pair of historic King Charles Spaniels • Blenheim red-and-white colouring • Prince Charles black, white and tan colouring • In the manner of John Dalby • Oil painted on panel • Traditional wooded countryside setting • Documented Amersham Auction Rooms provenance • Decorative gilt frame • Compact 31 cm x 34 cm framed size • Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution included Introduction: A delightful late 19th-century British oil painting devoted to one of the most recognisable historic companion dogs of Victorian Britain. Two King Charles Spaniels sit closely together in a rural wooded setting. Their differing coat colours identify them with the historic Blenheim and Prince Charles varieties. Dating to circa 1880, the work has been catalogued in the manner of John Dalby of York (1810–1865) and combines canine portraiture with the understated country landscape characteristic of British animal painting. Breed History: The lighter dog displays the red or chestnut-and-white Blenheim colouring traditionally connected with Blenheim Palace. Its companion represents the Prince Charles tricolour, combining black and white with tan markings. These historical names are particularly appropriate for a Victorian painting and provide a more accurate period context than simply describing the animals as modern Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Landscape: The spaniels occupy the foreground against a landscape of mature trees, open ground and distant countryside. There are no sufficiently distinctive landmarks to identify a particular location. The setting instead evokes the wooded grounds and parkland associated with British country-house life. Dalby Context: John Dalby was known particularly for British sporting and animal subjects. His recorded King Charles Spaniels Seated in a Wooded Landscape provides an especially relevant comparison with the present subject. As this painting is considered circa 1880 and therefore postdates Dalby's lifetime, the attribution remains deliberately qualified as in the manner of John Dalby. Provenance: Amersham Auction Rooms, Buckinghamshire, 6 June 2024, Lot 218 Acquired from the above sale by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® Frame: Presented in a decorative gilt wood and composition frame with raised foliate, laurel-leaf and berry-style ornament. The frame accompanies the painting as part of its current presentation and is not represented as original. Collecting Interest: A particularly charming subject for collectors of Victorian dog paintings, British animal art, sporting pictures and historic King Charles Spaniel imagery. Its modest dimensions also make it an easy painting to incorporate into both traditional and contemporary interiors. 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, exhibition history 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, dating 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 physical evidence, historic inscriptions, 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.