WILLIAM J. WEBBE | THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY

Alan B. Gateley and thence by descent

Roseberys, London, 13 September 2011, lot 701

London, Society of British Artists, 1870, cat. no.499

Very little is known about William J. Webbe but he was clearly influenced by the work of the luminous palette and attention to detail of the Pre-Raphaelites early in his career when he painted pictures like The White Owl - Alone and Warming his Five Wits, The White Owl in the Belfry Sits (Christie's, London, 13 December 2012, lot 9, sold for £589,250) and Chanticleer and the Fox (Christie's, London, 12 December 2019, lot 141). Webbe also painted scenes in the Middle East often combining animal and exotic human subjects, such as The Arrival of the Caravan of 1855 (Christie's, New York, 26 October 2005, lot 20), The Piping Shepherd of 1864 (Christie's, London, 13 December 2017, lot 25) and A Street in Jerusalem of 1867 (Christie's, London, 14 June 2006, lot 44). His work in this vein is similar to that of his friend and neighbour William Gale, with whom he travelled to the Middle East in 1862.

Another version of this composition, painted as an oval, is title A Camel Drover was in the collection of Gianni Versace at Villa Fontanelle in Molstrasio (Sotheby's, London, 18 March 2009, lot 369).