Sympathy by Briton Riviere

Sympathy - Briton Riviere - Fine Art Oil Painting

At a Glance

Upgrade your walls with Sympathy - Briton Riviere - Fine Art Oil Painting. Every fine art reproduction is painted entirely by hand, so the surface carries the depth and variation of an original oil painting rather than the flatness of a digital canvas print.

The Story Behind the Painting

1877
Oil on canvas
121.8 x 101.5 cm

Sympathy was one of Riviere's most popular compositions. When the original version (Royal Holloway College) was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1878, the critics went out of their way to praise it. The Times, the Illustrated London News, the Magazine of Art, the Graphic, the Academy and the Athenaeum were among its many admirers. Even John Ruskin's resistance to academic painting was overcome by such a winsome image of innocence. 'It is long', he wrote, 'since I have been so pleased in the Royal Academy as I was by Mr Briton Riviere's "Sympathy". The dog is uncaricatured doggedness, divine as Anubis, or the Dog-star; the child entirely childish and lovely, the carpet might have been laid in by Veronese. A most precious picture...' (for full details, see Jeannie Chapel, Victorian Taste: the complete catalogue of paintings at the Royal Holloway College, 1982, pp. 126-7, no. 63).

Naturally, there was a great demand for reproductions. By 1891, according to Walter Armstrong, the little girl being comforted by her canine friend had 'found her way into hundreds of homes, both humble and luxurious.' Agnew's published a mezzotint by Frederick Stackpoole, A.R.A, and, as so often with his more popular works, Riviere found himself painting replicas. One was acquired by Henry Tate in 1896 and presented to the Tate Gallery the following year.

The present version is unsigned but we believe it to be authentic. Side-by-side comparison with the original at Royal Holloway College shows significant variations, generally a clear indication that the artist himself is the executant rather than a copyist eager to reproduce every detail of the original. The handling also seems to be characteristic of Riviere. While admittedly more fluent than that of the original, it is not unlike that found in the small version of Requiescat (RA 1888; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney) that was sold in these Rooms on 19 February 2003, lot 39, as part of the Forbes Collection.

Sympathy was based on an unidentified illustration that Riviere had contributed to an American publication many years before the picture was painted. The model for the little girl was his daughter Millicent.

As hallway wall art, the piece pairs naturally with other elegant wall art and with warm neutrals, timber, and soft natural light.

Materials & Craftsmanship

Each canvas is painted entirely by hand with professional oil paints on artist-grade cotton canvas. No printing, giclée, or digital imaging is used at any stage, so the surface keeps the slight relief and color variation of real brushwork.

Specifications & What You Receive

• A true oil-on-canvas painting produced manually by our artists — not a mass-produced print.
• Supplied with a 2-inch blank border on all four sides for flexible hallway display options.
• We dispatch worldwide ourselves, so there are no middlemen in the chain.
• Available canvas sizes for this hand painted oil painting: 20 X 24 in, 24 X 36 in, 30 X 40 in, 36 X 48 in, 48 X 72 in.
• Custom canvas dimensions are welcome for this fine art oil painting.
• We work with DHL, UPS, FedEx, USPS and additional couriers to keep delivery affordable.
• Free canvas stretching on wooden stretcher bars; custom framing available on request.
• Before dispatch we email a digital proof so you can approve the finished canvas.

Wall Decor & Gifting

This fine art oil painting wall decor is equally at home in a residence, a boutique hotel, or a professional office. Its elegant character makes it a safe, distinctive gift for anyone furnishing a hallway.

Shipping & Guarantee

Order Sympathy as a hand painted oil painting on canvas and add lasting elegant character to your hallway. Custom sizes, a digital proof before dispatch, and secure worldwide shipping are included.