Live Auction 7635British Art on Paper
George Goodwin Kilburne (1839-1924)
Lot 71

George Goodwin Kilburne (1839-1924)

The pigeons of St Mark's, Venice, Italy

Closed10 December 2008

Price Realised

GBP 12,500

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George Goodwin Kilburne (1839-1924)
The pigeons of St Mark's, Venice, Italy
signed and dated 'G G Kilburne 76' and signed again and inscribed 'The Pigeons of St Mark's - Venice/G. G. Kilburne/Hawkhurst House/Steeles Road/Harverstock Hill' (on the artist's label on the reverse of the backboard)
pencil and watercolour and gum arabic, heightened with bodycolour
15 x 24 7/8 in. (38.1 x 62.9 cm.)

Anonymous sale; Christie's, London, 29 October 1991, lot 48.

Specialist note

Kilburne is highly regarded for his charming depictions of Victorian life, but outside scenes, such as that in the present watercolour, appear less frequently in the auction rooms. Venice was as popular a tourist attraction in his day as it is today, and in the present watercolour Kilburne has captured the moment in which a family enjoy the entertainment of the pigeons of St. Mark's Square framed by the magnificent arches of the Basilica. Kilburne's work was frequently seen at the Royal Academy, the Royal Society of British Artists, the New Water Colour Society and the Grosvenor Galleries.