Western Morning News (Saturday)
Do you prefer modern or traditional?
TWO contrasting paintings that arrived at Plymouth Auction Rooms this week have reopened the debate over traditional and modern art.
Many collectors have moved towards modern and contemporary art today including abstraction and naive styles of painting. As a result there has been a shift away from the more traditional views and subjects mostly painted in over 100 year ago.
Some suggest that the brighter and fresher looking art works suit cotemporary homes and the current fashions however the artistic skill to create some of the fine traditional paintings are unmistakable.
With paintings held in UK public collections including The Victoria & Albert Museum and with over 27 works exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1848 and 1864 there is no debate about the quality of work by Scottish artist George F. Buchanan (1800-1864).
An impressive painting that has been a family heirloom in Plymouth will now be coming up for auction. Titled ‘A View of Ailsa Craig from the mouth of the Forth, with distant shipping and figure in the foreground’ and measuring 50cm x 88cm, the painting is quite atmospheric and the details of the beach and prospective are very good, even the gilt wood frame is a works of art. This painting will carry a modest guide price of £500 to £800.
A complete contrast and a work that brightens the whole sale room up is Arth Lawrs, ‘Mermaids at Mousehole’. Painted in acrylics and consigned directly from Arth studio this painting appears fun and fresh.
His naïve style has generated a real following at auction and he is a Member of the British Society of Naïve Artists and The Plymouth Colour Collective. At £300 this work could prove to be a better investment than the Victorian painting.
They both come for auction November 4. Find out more at plymouthauctions.co.uk or call 01752 254740.