Having taken a little time off over the holidays, I didn't manage to deliver this one before Christmas, but in my world a very folky Santa--a pair of them actually, with a pair of reindeer to boot!--is welcome anytime. And I really love a painting in which a series of events are represented simultaneously--here one has the sense that the maker simply could not resist portraying both Santa's arrival and his standing ready to slide down the chimney, bag of presents in hand. With equal if not more attention paid to the architecture of this house/manor itself, down to every brick and window, making this feel as much a moody portrait of an old estate as a Christmas painting. Pretty fabulous I think, c. late 19th century.
Ink and watercolor on paper or lightweight card. Behind glass, I have not opened up the back of what I presume is the original frame. Frame: 10 1/4" x 7 1/4". Sight: 8 5/8" x 5 9/16". A bit of surface cracking in a couple of spots, as documented--mostly visible around santa in his sled below. Wired on the back for hanging. (For the long term, one might do well to replace the old backing with a clean piece of mat board.)
You might also like
