Walter Langley, R.I. 1852-1922

Harrogate, Henry J. Mullen;
Private collection

SURFACE: The paper has warped along the top edge and appears slightly brown. A pin mark is evident in the top right hand corner. There are some scratch marks which appear to the left of the picture hanging on the wall. FRAME: Contained in original plaster moulded frame under glass with a gilt mount. COLOUR COMPARISON: Colours are lighter than the catalogue illustration suggests.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Langley arrived in Cornwall 1882, married and settled at Pembroke Lodge in Newlyn. This was two years before Stanhope Forbes arrived in Cornwall, but because of his preference for painting in watercolour, Langley never achieved the same status in Newlyn as Forbes. However Forbes was quick to see the great talent in Langley and initially disliked him for it. Although Langley attended many of the social events at Newlyn and was an enthusiastic banjo player, he was not accepted as part of the group. This may partly have been due to the age of the artist, he being older than most of the other Newlyn artists, but it may also have been due to the fact that he was from a different background, his father a humble tailor. Although his mother was illiterate it was she who had encouraged Langley to become an artist and apprenticed him to a local lithographer when he was fifteen which gave him a grounding which stood him in good stead for application to the South Kensington Schools. It was not until the 1880s that Langley discovered the subjects that he would paint for the rest of his life, the hard-working fishermen and their families and their humble cottages in Newlyn. He continued to paint wonderfully pathetic scenes of women awaiting the return of the fishing fleet and old mariners mending their nets well into the twentieth century. Henry Scott Tuke described his friend as; 'I should think the strongest watercolour man in England'.