Blog

Oh Whoops

   After the last picture I showed you by Charles Horner senior, here's another watercolour bearing the CH monogram. It's a very different piece from the last one I showed you. This one has a different date of '45. But 1845 or 1945?
CHWaters_web_04.JPG

   Out comes the Sherlock Holmes pipe, violin and deerstalker (but not the more, er, exotic aides to deep thought that he employed) and the deductive reasoning starts again. As I pointed out last time, I'm very confident these come straight down the line from CH himself, to his daughter Marjorie and thence to her daughter, my Mum. Given that, I have no more info and so we have only the dates to go on. In 1845 CH the elder would have been just 8 years of age. So, precocious as he may have been, I am going to rule him out (although hedge my bets by saying it is possible, if not probable). Im not doubting an eight year old could paint this way, but I question whether at that age he would have developed a monogram like this one? But it is possible, if not probable in my book.


CHWaters_web_05.JPG

   This leaves us with the 20thC and Charles Henry Horner. In 1945, CH the younger would have been 75 years of age and in retirement with time to indulge his undoubted skill as a watercolourist. This is reinforced by the paper being tacked onto a backing card which itself is a Ministry of Information poster, and that fits date-wise. So I am attributing this one with all confidence to Charles Henry Horner who painted it in 1945.

CHWaters2_web_01.JPG
CHWaters2_web_03.JPG

   I suspect by the way he has written "Whoops!" on the board he was not considering of exhibition standard. It has charm and shows some skill, but it is not as affecting as the one of Halifax in the earlier post. Of the two that's the one I will probably frame and put on the wall and enjoy until I too pass it on down the line to my son. 

 Follow me on Twitter: @HardyAntiques  or click the button at the bottom of every page

Previous Next

Search