John Sturgess, A Quick Stop At The Magpie

John Sturgess, A Quick Stop At The MagpieThis charming late 19th century oil painting by British artist John Sturgess (1839 1908) depicts a smartly attired rider taking refreshments at The Magpie pub. Its essentially a Victorian drive through. Leaning steadily to his left, he reaches for a pint while still firmly in the saddle. Its a skill hes clearly mastered. A lady, perhaps the innkeeper, raises a tray and offers up his ale. Lets hope he didnt have too many. Alongside, a chesnut horse is

Ancestry records describe her mother as a glovemaker and her father as a chairmaker

While several vessels bob and draw the eye towards a distant misty horizon line

fashions often drew influence from the 16th and 17th centuries

The painting is signed and held within a gilt frame

which includes 17th-century stone cottages and a Georgian Manor House

Saint Petersburg

The portrait is signed/dated in the lower left and housed in a period frame with coved sides and a decorative inner border

with an important decision to make

further on

Georg Lindstrom (1912-1985)

He first exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1866

It was one of the most terrifying storms for decades