Mary Blood Mellen

An Exceptional Two-Tiered Fruit Still Life Oil Painting, by Mary Mellen, C. 1850

C. 1850

Lilly Martin Spencer (American, 1822-1902) A Portrait of a Mother and Child 19th Century. Oil on canvas, signed Lilly Martin Spencer was one of the most popular and American female genre painters in the mid-nineteenth century. She primarily painted domestic scenes, paintings of women and children...

A Palatial and Opulent Belle epoque giltwood oil on canvas three-panel screen, circa 1890. "Allegory of Youth" Comprising of three exquisite hand-painted triptych oil on canvas panels of cherubs and putti amongst a peacock, all by Ferdinand Wagner II (German, 1847-1927). Each panel depicting different playful and joyous scenes of putti and cherubs. All three-in-one panels within individually carved giltwood and upholstered frames. One panel signed at the lower left: Ferd.Wagner. A truly magnificent and one of a kind piece, perfect for any room in the home. Overall: 101" high 85" wide x 5" deep Very good condition. Ready to place. Ferdinand Wagner II (German, 1847-1927) was the son of Passau Ferdinand Wagner Senior, a teacher at a vocational art school who began training him professionally at a young age. After traveling to Italy in 1867-1868, he continued with his art studies at The Munich Academy of Arts led by Peter Von Cornelius and Julius Schnorr Von Carolsfeld. Wagner II was influenced by the Munich School of master painters and by his art teacher, Karl von Piloty, who had been teaching at the Munich Art Academy since 1856. Piloty’s approach to historical paintings was influenced by the French art academic Paul Delaroche and by the fine artworks by Rubens and the Venetians. After his return to Germany he was commissioned to decorate the former the Tenormayer Wine Tavern in Munich, subsequently he received numerous other commissions as a decorator. Ferdinand Wagner II wall paintings and ceiling frescos...

Alfred Copestick (1837–1859) Coastal Scene: New York, 1857 Oil on canvas, in the original giltwood frame 14 ¼ x 20 ⅛ in. (canvas) Signed lower right: A. Copestick NY 1857 Painted at just twenty years of age, Coastal Scene: New York demonstrates Alfred Copestick’s remarkable promise as a marine painter in antebellum America. The scene brims with energy: a single sailboat heels sharply into the wind, its rigging taut against the storm, while foamy waves break against a rugged shoreline. Above, clouds mass and dissolve, illuminated by shafts of storm-lit light. Copestick’s treatment is both romantic and naturalistic, conveying the sublime tension between man, sea, and sky. His confident brushwork captures atmosphere with an immediacy and sensitivity rarely found in so young an artist. The work survives in its original giltwood frame, richly carved in a mid-nineteenth-century American style, which not only underscores its historical authenticity but also heightens the tonal drama of the painting. Alfred Copestick came of age during a fertile moment in American painting, when marine art and landscape were central to cultural identity. Though little is known of his formal training, his works suggest familiarity with and admiration for leading marine painters such as James E. Buttersworth, famed for his racing yachts; Francis Augustus Silva, who later developed a luminist style of coastal painting; and earlier masters like Thomas Birch, whose shipwrecks and storm scenes set a precedent for drama at sea. Copestick also absorbed broader currents in American landscape painting. The Hudson River School, led by Thomas Cole, Asher B...

A Rare and Important Treasure: 11 Oil Painting Panels in a Majestic Fan Shape Signed by Significant 19th-Century Austrian Artists, Featuring Isidor Kaufmann A magnificent and unique artistic achievement, this rare and important assemblage of 11 oil painting panels forms a majestic fan shape, uniting the work of significant 19th-century Austrian artists in a singular, breathtaking display. Each oil on panel is signed by the artist, showcasing a rich variety of subjects—ranging from evocative landscapes to compelling portraits—all rendered in the refined and masterful techniques characteristic of the era. Bringing together the talents of Isidor Kaufmann, Adolf Kaufmann, Carl Reichert, Emma (Edle von Seehof) Müller, Ernst Novak, Johann Hamza...

This lovely British Victorian still life oil painting is by noted still life painter George Clare. Painted circa1870 the composition is different fruit, including green and red grape...

Henry George Todd British, (1847-1898) Autumn’s Bounty Oil on canvas, signed & dated 1897 Image size: 31.25 inches x 25.5 inches Size including frame: 37.75 inches x 32 inches Provenance: Mandell’s Gallery, Norwich A wonderful autumnal still life painting of fruit by Henry George Todd. Grapes, peaches and plums can be seen arranged in a silver dessert dish and wicker basket perched on a marble ledge. Other fruit are shown resting on the edge of the carved stone table and also draped across a green velvet hanging. Rising up next to the fruit arrangement and framed within an alcove is an ornate silver gilt ewer...

William Duffield British, (1816-1863) Still Life of Fruit a Vase Oil on canvas, signed dated 1850 Image size: 13.5 inches x 18.5 inches Size including frame: 18.5 inches x 23.5 inches A wonderful still life painting of fruit and a vase by William Duffield. An array of fruit including grapes, peaches and a Melon are depicted grouped together on a table. Nestled behind them can be seen a grey crackle glazed ring handled vase...

Ellen Ladell British, (1853-1912) Still Life of Fruit & Exotic Birds Oil on canvas laid on board, signed Image size: 17.5 inches x 13.5 inches Size including frame: 24.75 inches x 20.75 inches Provenance: Sotheby’s The British Sale, 2003, lot 256 A beautifully painted still life of fruit with a glass dome and taxidermy birds by Ellen Ladell. Grapes, plums and a peach are shown grouped on a floral patterned green cloth at the front of a marble topped table. Behind the fruit is a large glass display dome with an arrangement of exotic taxidermy birds. The reflection in the glass gives the viewer a glimpse of a tall window with a house beyond, adding another dimension to the painting. Ellen Ladell was born Ellen Maria Levett in Ipswich in 1853 to George and Maria Levett. Her father was a foundry smith and the family lived at 30 Borough Road in Ipswich. She initially worked as a Milliner around 1871 but sought artistic training during her spare time. It is at this point she met and became a pupil of the still life painter Edward Ladell (1821-1886), who at that time was a widower. Ellen married Edward in Great Yarmouth on 21 October, 1878. The couple initially moved to Torquay where they had their son Kenwyn in 1880, but then decided to settle in Exeter, living at 99 Sidwell Street and setting up a studio at 20 Queen Street. Edward’s influence can been seen in her work as their styles and subject matter share some similarities. However, a number of Ellen’s paintings also included taxidermy under glass...