Exhibitions: Museums and Galleries, Art Dealers, Auction Houses

The Sale of Mrs Oswald

Robins & Hine

Reference: Robins & Hine, 30 March 1905

Not in Lugt, Catalogues

No copy traced, details taken from the Palser Records and Girtin Archive (Girtin.10)

Isabella Oswald, née Turrill (1838–1905), inherited her works by Thomas Girtin from her uncle Edward Cohen (1817–86), who died without issue (see also Isabella Hester Turrill (née Cohen) (1813–71). Thomas Girtin (1874–1960) described the posthumous sale as taking place ‘amid sordid surroundings’ and said that, as the auctioneers were ‘mere furniture people’, the watercolours by Girtin ‘went for a song’. He continued: ‘Only a few were put up however – the youthful fool Ed Poulter retaining the pick’ (Girtin Archive, 25).

  • 356 – ‘Boveney Church, near Windsor’ (TG0253) (a note in the Palser Records suggests that it was bought by ‘Wizzle’ for ‘G. R. Burnett’)
  • 357 – ‘Above Lyme Regis’, 9 ⅝ × 20 ¼ in (24.5 × 51.4 cm). Bought by ‘Palser’ for £16 16s (TG1254)
  • 360 – ‘Furness Abbey’, 15 ½ × 20 in (39.4 × 50.8 cm)
  • 361 – ‘Cottage Scene’, 11 ½ × 15 in (29.2 × 38.1 cm) (TG1802)
  • 367 – ‘Alloway Auld Kirk’, 8 × 11 ½ in (20.3 × 29.2 cm) (TG0151)
  • 379 – ‘Landscape and Old Bridge’, 12 × 20 ¾ in (30.5 × 52.7 cm). Bought by Thomas Girtin (1874–1960) for 18 guineas (TG1702)
  • Unknown lot – ‘Tonbridge Bridge and Castle’, 8 × 10 ½ in (20.3 × 26.7 cm). Bought by Thomas Girtin (1874–1960) for £1 (TG0192)
  • Unknown lot – ‘Tunbridge Rocks, Kent’, 10 ½ × 8 in (26.7 × 20.3 cm) (TG0200)
  • Unknown lot – ‘The Town of Rye’, 7 ¼ × 10 ½ in (18.4 × 26.7 cm). Bought by Thomas Girtin (1874–1960) for £1 (TG0241)
  • Unknown lot – ‘Dover Harbour’, 13 × 10 ⅝ in (33 × 27 cm) (TG0853)
  • Unknown lot – ‘Peterborough Cathedral’, 5 ½ × 4 ½ in (14 × 11.4 cm) (TG1015)
  • Unknown lot – ‘St. Alban’s Cathedral’, 14 ¼ × 10 ¼ in (36.2 × 26 cm). Bought by Thomas Girtin (1874–1960) for £1 (TG1035)
  • Unknown lot – ‘Seaton Sluice’, 4 ⅞ × 6 ¾ in (12.4 × 17.2 cm) (TG1087)
  • Unknown lot – ‘Dunstanborough Castle, from a Distance’, 5 × 8 ⅛ in (12.7 × 20.6 cm). Bought by Thomas Girtin (1874–1960) for £1 (TG1100)
  • Unknown lot – ‘Village of Kingswere, from Dartmouth’, 9 ¾ × 16 in (24.8 × 40.6 cm). Bought by Thomas Girtin (1874–1960) for £1 (TG1264)
  • Unknown lot – ‘King John’s Palace, Eltham, Kent’, 12 × 10 ¼ in (30.5 × 26 cm) (TG1381)
  • Unknown lot – ‘York Minster’, 14 × 19 ½ in (35.6 × 49.5 cm). Sold for £22 2s (TG1049)
  • Unknown lot – ‘Kensington Gardens’. Bought by ‘Palser’ for £7 7s
  • Unknown lot – ‘Holy Island’, 14 × 11 ¼ in (35.6 × 28.6 cm). Bought by ‘Palser’
  • Unknown lot – ‘Holy Island’, 15 × 9 ¾ in (38.1 × 24.8 cm). Bought by ‘Palser’ (TG1105)
  • Unknown lot – ‘Dryburgh Abbey, Berwick’, 8 × 5 ½ in (20.3 × 14 cm) (TG1118)
  • Unknown lot – ‘View in Yorkshire’, 9 ½ × 20 ¼ in (24.1 × 51.4 cm). Bought by ‘Palser’ 21 for guineas (TG1229)
  • Unknown lot – ‘View in Yorkshire’, 9 ½ × 20 ¼ in (24.1 × 51.4 cm) (a note in the Palser Records suggests that this is a ‘copy of’ the above work ‘by Pearson’; see TG1229 comparative)
  • Unknown lot – ‘On the Exe, near Exeter’, 8 ¾ × 12 ¾ in (22.2 × 32.4 cm) (TG1260)
  • Unknown lot – ‘On the Exe, near Exeter’, 11 ¾ × 20 ½ in (29.9 × 52.1 cm) (TG1261) (a note in the Palser Records says that it was bought for Sir Edward Marsh (1872–1953)
  • Unknown lot – ‘Caernarvon Castle’, 11 × 17 ½ in (27.9 × 44.5 cm). Bought by Thomas Girtin (1874–1960) for 27 guineas (TG1309)
  • Unknown lot – ‘Distant View of Harewood’, 9 ¼ × 20 ¾ in (23.5 × 52.7 cm). Bought by Thomas Girtin (1874–1960) for 10 guineas (TG1335)
  • Unknown lot – ‘Hastings’ (TG0314)
  • Unknown lot – ‘Landscape in Sepia’. Sold for £4 4s

Identified Exhibits