Lot 95: EDWIN AUSTIN ABBEY, R.A. (PHILADELPHIA 1852-1911 LONDON) Her Majesty Enthroned,

EDWIN AUSTIN ABBEY, R.A. (PHILADELPHIA 1852-1911 LONDON) Her Majesty Enthroned, painted in circa 1886 (according to the label on the reverse). Oil on canvas, laid down on board, 116 by 91.5 cm.
Exhibited: From the Hudson River School to the aesthetic movement , William Vareika Fine Arts, New Port, September-October 1998 (according to the label on the reverse).

Edwin Austin Abbey R.A. took part in the artistic and intellectual Romantic movement that rejected the established social and religious values in favour of irrationality, fantasy and imagination. Romanticism inspired many artists to escape reality and the industrial present by fantasizing about other times. Although they were particularly fascinated by the Middle Ages, they were not only inspired by the past, they also invented science fiction.

Working as an illustrator for the magazines Harper's Weekly and Scribner's Magazine , Abbey became one of the most celebrated artists of his day. He moved from America to England in 1878 and studied the medieval era, investigating Arthurian epics and chivalric poems. Abbey was also a profound admirer of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) and often depicted scenes based on romantic literature in order to create powerful narrative compositions. He flourished in the Victorian movement and was made a member of the Royal Academy in 1898. His oil paintings rarely appear on market.

Her Majesty Enthroned represents a scene from a fairy tale. This elaborate composition shows a dynamic scene of knights on flying horses, two scared princesses kneel before her Majesty, surrounded by several monsters in the background. The imagery of knights is evidence of the revival of the Middle Ages but might also refer to the halcyon days of Arthurian legend and to Romantic nationalism. Most probably, Abbey executed the work after 1889, a date after which he increasingly turned to oil painting. He used a high-key palette conveying a soft and harmonious light, undefined contours and loose brushstrokes, elements which contribute to create a romantic atmosphere.