Louise Rayner (1832-1924)

Lousie Rayner specialised in depicting the old streets and alleys of British towns. Her watercolours create a vivid portrait of metropolitan life with ordinary citizens going about their everyday business. In the 1870s and 80s, Rayner spent a couple of months each summer in different British towns and cities. It was during this period that Rayner visited Salisbury and painted the current watercolour of Castle Street, a main thoroughfare for travellers going to and from the north of Salisbury.

A similar view of Castle Street by Rayner, which sold in these Rooms, 4 November 1994, lot 16, is now in the collection of Salisbury Museum.