This is a charming little watercolour by the Scottish artist and illustrator Alexander Stuart Boyd.
He was born in Glasgow. Boyd's interest in art was stimulated when he was given some illustrated papers and painted when he was recovering from a childhood illness. He was also encouraged in his artistic pursuits by a neighbour - a certain James Cowan, who was an early member of the Glasgow Art Club.
He worked many years in a bank in Glasgow - and in the 1870s decided to take up art seriously and become a professional artist. He studied at the Life Class at the Glasgow Art Club and in 1880s attended the Heatherly Art School in London.
In March 1881 he joined the staff of the newly-launched Quiz, a Glasgow-based loose equivalent of Punch. He stayed there for seven years, producing comic black and white sketches, and then joined The Bailie, another Glasgow periodical which had been founded in 1872. For both periodicals, he used the pseudonym “Twym.”
He was also exhibiting his paintings regularly – he had exhibited with the Glasgow Art Club since 1879; he was also a regular exhibitor with the Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts (every year between 1882 and 1889); in 1882 he was elected a member of the Royal Scottish Watercolour Society; and throughout the remainder of the 1880s he also exhibited with the Royal Scottish Academy of Arts, the Kilmarnock Fine Art Institute, the Glasgow Society of Painters in Watercolours, and, in 1887 and 1896, at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
A move to London resulted in him working more regularly as an illustrator for periodicals and magazines such as The Graphic and Punch.
Boyd visited Australia and New Zealand in 1898 and after WWI decided he would emigrate there.
Boyd and his wife, the writer Mary Stuart Boyd, set sail in 1919 and settled in Takapuna, Auckland. He exhibited from 19121 - 1929 at the Auckland Society of Artists. He served as the President from 1926 until 1928 - and was a working member when he died in 1930. He was a founder member of the Auckland Sketch Club in 1923. He gave regular lectures on art, humour and authors - including his favourite one: Robert Louis Stevenson.
Many thanks are her given to the article published online by Bear Alley Books. They have done a lot of research on this artist - complete biographical details and a full list of the publications that Boyd illustrated are available on their website.
Examples of Boyd's work are in the collection of the Victorian and Albert Museum in London.
My pretty watercolour is full of detail - and is of a smaller size. to perfect to hang in a smaller house or apartment. Examples of his delicate little watercolour studies are harder to find.
It is signed in black watercolour, lower right in the composition: A.S. Boyd.
Dimensions: Image size is 12.5 x 12.5 cm. Frame size is 30 x 34 cm.
The study shows a young farm or barge boy. He has finished his day's work and is lying on his back in a lush green field - he daydreams and gazes wistfully into the distance. What is he thinking about? I love all the details painting in this wee watercolour by the artist - the texture of the green meadow and all the details of the boy's clothes.
It is in good antique condition - probably being painted to the edge of the 19th century.
It is nicely presented with a new cream coloured window mount and new oak frame - all ready for you to just hang on your wall.
FREE POSTAGE IN THE UK.
HAPPY TO POST INTERNATIONALLY, PLEASE ASK FOR A POSTAGE QUOTE OUTSIDE OF THE UK.