Charles Augustus Henry Lutyens (1829-1915) - Cavaliere a cavallo durante una battuta di caccia

Charles Augustus Henry Lutyens (British, 1829-1915)

“ Cavaliere a cavallo durante una battuta di caccia “

1870/1880 circa

< Exposizioni: Ha esposto regolarmente le sue opere tra il 1861 e il 1903 in prestigiose istituzioni come la Royal Academy, la Grosvenor Gallery e la Manchester City Art Gallery >

- Opera ideale per collezionismo e investimento-
Opera periziata e certificata da studio peritale

Technique: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 80 x 69 cm in a later frame
Dimensions: 61 × 51 cm (canvas)

Signature: signed at lower left “C. Lutyens”

Inscription: at lower right there is a painter’s inscription in which the wording “Paris…”, followed by further characters that are difficult to interpret

Period: circa 1870s–1880s
Frame: present, wooden gilded frame with textile passe-partout

Authenticity and certification

The canvas bears at lower left the signature “C. Lutyens”, considered original within the expert documentation relating to the painting. Stylistically and iconographically, the subject fully belongs to the repertoire for which the British painter is best known: horses, riders, hunting scenes and representations tied to the English equestrian tradition of the Victorian era.

The proposed dating, circa 1870–1880, corresponds to the artist’s mature period.

Historical-artistic description

The composition depicts a rider during a hunting excursion, viewed three-quarter back as he rests on a horse with a dark brown coat. The hunting red coat constitutes the main color accent of the entire scene and immediately draws attention to the central figure.

The horse is rendered with particular attention to anatomical structure and the shine of the coat, in line with that animalier sensibility that is one of the distinguishing elements of Lutyens’ output.

The surrounding landscape is treated with a freer, more atmospheric brushwork: browns, greens, ochres and earth tones build an autumnal environment, while the light sky on the right opens up the composition and emphasizes depth of space. In the distance a second small figure in red appears, an element that helps identify the scene as a horseback hunting scene.

The painting presents a differentiated brushstroke: more compact in the horse and rider, more abbreviated and textural in the vegetation and ground.

Signature and inscriptions:

“C. Lutyens”

On the lower right margin there is also a second painter’s inscription. From the photographic documentation, the word “Paris…” is discernible, while the following characters are not sufficiently clear to provide a certain transcription.

Back and support:

The reverse documents a painting mounted on a wooden support. The mark is present:
G. ROWNEY & Co.
LONDON, W.
QUALITY A.

Several numerations and chalk inscriptions are also visible on the frame and on the back of the canvas. These elements form part of the physical history of the work and should be preserved in their entirety.

Condition Report

From the examination of the documentation, the work appears in overall good conservational condition for its period.
The paint surface shows natural aging of materials, with slight inhomogeneity of the varnish and some abrasions and small losses/localized discontinuities of the paint film, particularly noticeable in the darker areas and in the landscape. Deposits and superficial alterations compatible with the conservation history of an eighteenth/nineteenth-century painting are also observable.

The frame is provided free of charge as a courtesy with the work and should therefore be considered an accessory element, not included in the economic valuation of the painting. Due to the natural fragility of antique gilded frames, any damage, chips, cracks or losses to parts of the frame occurring during transport or shipping cannot be the subject of refunds, compensation or dispute regarding the value of the work. Packing will nevertheless be prepared with the utmost care to ensure, as far as possible, safe transport.

Shipping insured
Expert Evaluation

*** For reasons of historical interest the work cannot be shipped outside the European Community / insured shipment in a wooden crate