Charles Burton Barber

Thomas McLean, London;
Mrs C. Lewis;
Her sale, Sotheby's, London, 27 March 1973, lot 21

The following condition report has been prepared by Hamish Dewar Ltd, 13 & 14 Mason's Yard, London, SW1Y 6BU: Structural condition The painting has been lined and is securely attached to a keyed wooden stretcher. This isproviding an even and stable structural support. Paint surface The painting has a relatively uneven varnish layer. There is a pattern of drying craquelure most notably within the dark pigments of the background, but this is entirely stable and not particularly visually distracting. There are some minor surface accretions and fly spots to the paint surface most notably on the girl's arm, within the dog's coat and to the carpet in the lower part of the composition. Inspection under ultra-violet light shows some minor retouchings within the brown pigments of the dog's coat, within the carpet, and a small area to the right of the signature close to the lower horizontal framing edge. There are other very small, scattered retouchings. The dark background behind the figures fluoresces slightly unevenly under ultra-violet light but this appears to be due to the degradation of the varnish layers. Summary The painting therefore appears to be in good and stable condition and would benefit from cleaning, restoration and revarnishing including the removal of a discoloured varnish layer and surface accretions.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Charles Burton Barber was the foremost late 19th century painter of children and their pets - works rich in sentiment and of great appeal to Victorian tastes. Although he shunned publicity, he built a reputation for himself with immensely popular works such as A Special Pleader (fig. 1), which were widely reproduced. He received the regular patronage of Queen Victoria; the last painting he undertook was of the Queen at Osborne House in 1894, with her Battenberg grandchildren and a consortium of dogs. It was given to Princess Beatrice by Edward VII and remains with her descendants. 

 

Barber was a great admirer of Sir Edwin Landseer and became his chief successor. Like him he shared a passion for the Highlands and the stag, but demand for his pictures lay in his depictions of children and dogs. His greatest quality was his ability to portray the expressions of his animals with character and sensitivity, which did not humanise them in a manner that belittled the work of many of his contemporaries. He was meticulous in his approach to painting, selecting the furniture, designs and costumes which he wished to incorporate in his work, handling the variety of materials and details with consummate brushwork. The great St. Bernard appeared in several of his paintings and Good Friends stands as a superb example of Barber's finest attributes.

 

Good Friends was the first painting one encountered on entering the drawing room at Thurloe Lodge - a magnificent statement that hinted at the richness of the works beyond.