Walter Langley, R.I. 1852-1922

STRUCTURE: Unlined. SURFACE: Paint surface appears to be stable and clean with no signs of cracquelure. UV LIGHT: Under UV Light there are some very minor retouchings which appear in the mother's dress, flecked retouchings on the baby's head and on the boy's shoulder. A few minor retouchings appear in the sky otherwise retouchings are minor. FRAME: Contained in a reproduction gilt wood frame. COLOUR COMPARISON: The original painting is a little less bright than the catalogue illustration suggests.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

On the Quay, Newlyn is a charming homage to the town with which Langley and his work will always be associated. 

Born in Birmingham in 1852 Langley began his extraordinary career attending evening classes at the Birmingham School of Design.  In 1865 he served an apprenticeship to A. H. Biermann and began formal training in 1872 having been awarded a scholarship to the South Kensington Schools.  He first visited Newlyn in the early 1880s but did not settle there until 1887.  By this time he had had a number of works exhibited at the Royal Institute and had also been strongly influenced by a visit to Brittany.  He travelled there with fellow artist Edwin Harris.  Harris was a bachelor and could therefore travel the continent free of responsibilities.  Langley however was married with a son and a daughter and a second son was to arrive in November that year.  Time was of the essence so he headed directly for Pont Aven where there was already a thriving community of artists.

'...in those days there was hardly a village in Brittany which was not occupied by one or two painters, but at Pont Aven they simply swarmed - English, French, Americans and representatives of almost all nationalities...' (Edwin Harris from the journal Edgbastonia)

The sketches and finished works from this sojourn concentrate strongly on the Breton people in their highly distinctive costume.  Painting subjects from the immediate environment in a faithful and uncontrived manner became known as Rural Naturalism and Langley would become one of this movements principle exponents.  Life at Newlyn contained ample drama and inspiration.  As with fishing towns the world over the picturesque setting is tempered by the inherant threat and potential tragedy of life at sea.  Some of Langley's most powerful works depict such tragedies.  The refrain of The Three Fishers by Charles Kingsley, employed by Langley as the title of a work from 1882 in the Birmingham City Gallery, expresses it without compromise,

'But men must work and women
must weep, though storms be
sudden and waters deep, And the
Harbour bay be moaning'

Langley himself suffered bereavement in 1895 when his wife Clara died aged forty-four.  Understandably his output during this period dealt with loss and isolation with titles such as Never morning wore to evening, But some heart did break (1894), Motherless (1895) and Old Age is Lonely (1896). 

In 1897 Langley married Ethel Pengelly in Penzance and their son, John was born in September the following year.  The subjects of his work become noticeably lighter from the turn of the century and beyond.  Although undated the present work is likely to come from this period and bears strong resemblances in mood and composition to A Cornish Idyll from 1902 (Fig. 1) and A Chip off the Old Block painted in 1905 (Fig 2).  The child and baby are strong symbols of the renewal of life and this sense of the new generation is highlighted by the contrast with two old fisherman leaning on the rail in the background.  In a charming gesture the boy offers the baby a flower.  The backdrop of the aged, salt washed buildings on the  quay side is  brilliantly and faithfully rendered.  By placing the figures in this setting Langley increases their sense of humanity and mood.  As one critic in the Cornish Telegraph put it,
'Poverty in actual life has little to recommend it, but under the magic of Mr Langley's hand it evidently has its compensations...everything seems so natural and the colours blend with such charming effect that one loses sight of the actual poverty of the scene and sees only the beauty which has entrapped the artist's inmost soul and which he has so successfully transferred to canvas.'