The charcoal burners
(1874)

• Richard BEAVIS

Richard Beavis painted of a wide range of subjects, including landscape, Orientalist images, military, rustic and animal scenes and exhibited often at the Royal Society of British Artists. This depiction of the production of charcoal was owned by the NGV’s greatest benefactor, Alfred Felton. This is fitting as amongst Alfred Felton’s many enterprises was the production of charcoal. This picture had pride of place in his collection, exhibited on a large easel, which jutted out into the central floor space of his apartment at the Esplanade Hotel, St Kilda.

[1] See Agnew’s Picture Stockbook 1871–74, NGA27/1/1/4, pp. 270-71, Thomas Agnew & Sons archive, National Gallery Research Centre, London, accessed https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/research/research-centre/agnews-stock-books/reference-nga27114-1871-74

[2] See Agnew’s Picture Stockbook 1874–79, NGA27/1/1/5, pp. 48-49, Thomas Agnew & Sons archive, National Gallery Research Centre, London, accessed https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/research/research-centre/agnews-stock-books/reference-nga27115-1874-79

[3] Colston Bassett Hall was purchased by Knowles, originally from Lancashire, in 1877. Knowles immersed himself in the local community, funding the construction of a new parish church. See http://www.colstonbassetthistory.org.uk/viewpage.php?page_id=2

[4] Loughlin was a mining magnate and owner of racehorses. He arrived in Victoria in 1855 and made his fortune mining alluvial gold. See Austin McCallum, 'Loughlin, Martin (1833–1894)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/loughlin-martin-4040/text6423, published first in hardcopy 1974, accessible via link.

[5] ‘The late Sir James MacBain’s Paintings’ in The Argus, Wednesday 6 February 1895, p. 6, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9344603 and ‘Sale of Paintings’ in The Age, Saturday 9 February 1895, p. 8, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article193462422. Lot number unknown.

Exhibited: Royal Academy, London, 1874, no. 574; loaned to Midland Counties Art Museum, Nottingham, 1878[1]; Jubilee Exhibition, Manchester, 1887, no. 400, lent by R. M. Knowles Esq.; Summer Exhibition, New Gallery, London, May 1890, no. 171 as Charcoal-burning in Monmouthshire.

[1] Official Catalogue of the Pictures and Objects in the Midland Counties Art Museum, The Castle, Nottingham, compiled and edited by J. P. Briscoe, F.R.H.S., Nottingham: T. Forman and Sons, 1878, p. 62, cat. 31 (North staircase).