Mary (1794) Lawrence Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Mary (1794) Lawrence Art Value Price Guide

Apr. 22, 2023
Mary Lawrance original watercolor of a Japanese Quince
Est: $12,000 - $18,000
LAWRANCE, Mary (British, FL. 1794–1830). Pyrus Japonica [Japanese Quince]. Watercolor and bodycolor on vellum. Titled in ink ‘Pyrus Japonica’ lower left, and signed ‘Mary Lawrance. 1806’ center. 1806. 11 1/4" x 10 1/2" vellum, 23" x 22 1/2" framed. Provenance: Bute Family Collection, Scotland (by repute); with Susan Frei Nathan Fine Works on Paper, LLC, New Jersey; Acquired from the above by the present owner, circa 2003. A magnificent watercolor of a spray of Japanese quince in full bloom. This plant was first described in 1784, so it was still quite exotic when this watercolor was painted in 1806. -------------------- Mary Lawrance was the most significant botanical illustrator at the turn of the 19th century, a teacher and an exhibitor at the Royal Academy from 1794-1830. She became famous for her illustrations of flowers, particularly for her book ‘A Collection of Roses from Nature’, which she dedicated to Queen Charlotte. Lawrance drew, etched and colored all of her works, placing great emphasis on the quality of the colors she used, which had to be manufactured according to her instructions and under her supervision. The present work is a masterful depiction of the Japanese quince in full bloom, which only reached the West about ten years earlier and was still considered as exotic in 1806. It is not surprising that Lawrance had the opportunity to paint this rare plant, given that it was a great honor to have one’s flower drawn by her.
Arader Galleries
Nov. 02, 2016
Mary Lawrance (British) (fl. 1794-1830) Pyrus japonica (Japanese quince) 11 3/4 x 11 1/8in (30 x 28.3cm)
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
Mary Lawrance (British), (fl. 1794-1830) Pyrus japonica (Japanese quince) signed and dated 'Mary Lawrance 1806' (lower center), titled (lower left) watercolor and body color on vellum 11 3/4 x 11 1/8in (30 x 28.3cm) Footnotes Provenance Bute Family Collection, Scottland (by repute); with Susan Frei Nathan Fine Works on Paper, LLC, New Jersey; Acquired from the above by the present owner, circa 2003. Mary Lawrance was the most significant botanical illustrator at the turn of the 19th century, a teacher and an exhibitor at the Royal Academy form 1794-1830. She became famous for her illustrations of flowers, particularly for her book 'A Collection of Roses from Nature', which she dedicated to Queen Charlotte. Lawrance drew, etched and colored all of her works, placing great emphasis on the quality of the colors she used, which had to be manufactured according to her instructions and under her supervision. The present work is a masterful depiction of the Japanese quince in full bloom, which only reached the West about ten years earlier and was still considered as exotic in 1806. It is not surprising that Lawrance had the opportunity to paint this rare plant, given that it was a great honor to have one's flower drawn by her.
Bonhams
Nov. 24, 2014
[COLOR PLATE] LAWRANCE, MARY. Nelumbium [nucifera]--Water Lilly [sic].
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
[COLOR PLATE] LAWRANCE, MARY. Nelumbium [nucifera]--Water Lilly [sic]. Water- and body-color on vellum, heightened with gum arabic over graphite outlines. 36 x 29 1/2 inches (91 x 75 cm), signed and titled by the artist (l.r.) in graphite in a graceful hand. A few losses of the densely applied color to the sky at upper left and some minor flaking at a few other points. Traces of early mounting to a stretcher, perhaps by the artist herself (there is an upper and lower fold with marks from tacking, these areas left unpainted); Together with LAWRANCE, MARY. Sketches of Flowers from Nature by Mary Lawrance, Teacher of Botanical Drawing... London: self-published, 1801. First edition. Contemporary calf gilt. 11 1/4 x 9 inches (29 x 22 cm); 2 ff. title and text, and 11 plates, one in three states (uncolored, with the first layer of wash coloring, and fully colored) the balance of the plates are, as issued, in two states, colored and uncolored. The plates are drawn, engraved, and presumably colored by Lawrance. Binding heavily rubbed and worn, separating at spine, some offsetting within (though most plates retain old tissues), with the small book label of C. Briscoe, the inscription dated July 26 1803 on the title, and neat notes in ink in the same hand (initialed) on the title verso. The front free endpaper also bears an ownership inscription Charles J. Kerr of Buffalo N.Y. Mary Lawrance first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1795. Her monographs, especially A Collection of Roses from Nature 1796-9 (issued in thirty parts) brought her considerable fame as a botanical artist. It remains one of the most desirable English flora of the period. DNB states "In 1804 she was living with her parents and sister in Queen Anne Street East, London, where she gave lessons in 'drawing Botany at ½ a guinea a lesson & a guinea entrance' ... Farington responded to her request, supported by Charles Greville, brother of the earl of Warwick, to place her works well in the Royal Academy exhibition that year ... Up to 1830 she continued, under her married name, to exhibit studies of flowers, which were finely executed. She was a friend of the horticulturist Robert Sweet, who named the Rosa lawranceana after her." This lot comprises a magnificent example of a watercolor by Lawrance in a very large format (her original works are quite rare). The water lily in question, defined only as Nelumbium in her title (there are two species in the genus) is the Indian Lotus. It is a dramatic and very beautiful rendering of the national flower of India and of Vietnam. This is offered with a complete copy of Lawrance's instructional manual for flower painters, with its charming color plates. Sold by her from her house on Queen Ann Street East (near Portland Place, London), it is quite rare in any form; Dunthorne lists only six plates without text, and only two copies have appeared at auction in the last quarter-century. This copy has a contemporary provenance, whose notes comprise a rather careful critique of the work, praising the plates but damning the absence of an authoritative text. A watercolor by a C.A. Lawrance (dated 1796) of a fieldmouse is laid-in. Henrey II: 580; Nissen 1153; Dunthorne 178. C
DOYLE Auctioneers & Appraisers
Nov. 15, 2011
LAWRANCE, MARY.
Est: £20,000 - £30,000
FROM THE LIBRARY OF HANNA STRAUSS-WEIL (1921-2011) A COLLECTION OF ROSES FROM NATURE. LONDON: PUBLISHED BY MISS LAWRANCE, TEACHER OF BOTANICAL DRAWINGS, 1799 First edition, folio (395 x 310mm.), hand-coloured etched and stipple-engraved frontispiece, engraved title and dedication, 2 leaves of letterpress, 90 hand-coloured etched and stipple engraved plates of roses, [Dunthorne 176; Great Flower Books, p.64; Henry 3:948; Nissen BBI 1151; An Oak Spring Flora 78; not in Hunt], blue straight-grained morocco gilt, one or two plates dampstained at head, binding rubbed, corners repaired
Sotheby's
May. 10, 2011
[LAWRANCE, MARY.
Est: £5,000 - £7,000
[LAWRANCE, MARY. A COLLECTION OF PASSION FLOWERS COLOURED FROM NATURE. LONDON: TO BE HAD OF MARY LAWRANCE, 1799-1802 ] First edition , folio (497 x 355mm.), 18 hand-coloured etched and stipple-engraved plates, contemporary half calf, spine lettered in gilt, no title or letterpress (as issued), [Dunthorne 177; Great Flower Books , p.64; Henrey 3:947; Hunt 760 (this copy with only 15 plates); Nissen BBI 1150], occasional slight spotting, binding rubbed, slightly worn at corners
Sotheby's
May. 10, 2011
LAWRANCE, MARY.
Est: £20,000 - £30,000
LAWRANCE, MARY. A COLLECTION OF ROSES FROM NATURE. LONDON : PUBLISHED BY MISS LAWRANCE, TEACHER OF BOTANICAL DRAWINGS, 1799 First edition , folio (390 x 300mm.), hand-coloured etched and stipple-engraved frontispiece, engraved title and dedication, 90 hand-coloured etched and stipple-engraved plates of roses, 4 partly or entirely captioned in the author's hand, 2 leaves of letterpress at end, burgundy morocco gilt by Zaehnsdorf, triple gilt fillet borders on covers, spine tooled gilt with rose motifs in 6 compartments, lettered in two, gilt edges, [Dunthorne 176; Great Flower Books , p.64; Henrey 3:948; Nissen BBI 1151; An Oak Spring Flora 78; not in Hunt]
Sotheby's
Dec. 07, 2010
LAWRANCE, MARY.
Est: £50,000 - £70,000
LAWRANCE, MARY. A COLLECTION OF ROSES FROM NATURE. LONDON : PUBLISHED BY MISS LAWRANCE, TEACHER OF BOTANICAL DRAWINGS, 1799 First edition , folio (390 x 300mm.), hand-coloured etched and stipple-engraved frontispiece, engraved title and dedication, 90 hand-coloured etched and stipple-engraved plates of roses, 4 partly or entirely captioned in the author's hand, 2 leaves of letterpress at end, burgundy morocco gilt by Zaehnsdorf, triple gilt fillet borders on covers, spine tooled gilt with rose motifs in 6 compartments, lettered in two, gilt edges
Sotheby's
Dec. 07, 2010
LAWRANCE, MARY.
Est: £7,000 - £10,000
LAWRANCE, MARY. SKETCHES OF FLOWERS FROM NATURE. LONDON: TO BE HAD OF M. LAWRANCE, 1801 First edition , folio (350 x 282mm.), letterpress title and text leaf, 11 etched and stipple-engraved plates in two states, plain and hand-coloured, with plate one in a further third state with variant colouring, contemporary half roan over original boards, later red morocco-backed folding chemise, spine lettered in gilt, occasional slight spotting, binding rubbed
Sotheby's
Dec. 07, 2010
[LAWRANCE, MARY.
Est: £10,000 - £15,000
[LAWRANCE, MARY. A COLLECTION OF PASSION FLOWERS COLOURED FROM NATURE. LONDON: TO BE HAD OF MARY LAWRANCE, 1799-1802 ] First edition , folio (497 x 355mm.), 18 hand-coloured etched and stipple-engraved plates, contemporary half calf, spine lettered in gilt, no title or letterpress (as issued), occasional slight spotting, binding rubbed, slightly worn at corners
Sotheby's
Apr. 01, 2003
LAWRANCE (MARY)
Est: £40,000 - £50,000
A Collection of Roses from Nature, first edition, engraved title, dedication leaf, hand-coloured frontispiece and 90 hand-coloured etched plates, 2 leaf index bound at end, plates watermarked 1794, occasional very light soiling to margins, later half morocco [Nissen BBI 1151; Great Flower Books, p.64; Dunthorne 176; Henrey 948], folio (480 by 350mm), Miss Lawrance, [1796-] 1799 [-1810]
Bonhams