Richard Ansdell, R.A.

E. Allday esq., Edgbaston, by whom sold, Christie's, London, 16 March 1895, lot 33 for 168 guineas to 'Marshall';
Private collection

London, Royal Academy, 1877, no.141
Edinburgh, Malcolm Innes Gallery, Lytham Hall and London, Richard Green Gallery, Richard Ansdell R.A. 1815-1885, A Centenary Exhibition, 1985, no.46

The canvas has been lined. The work appears to be in good overall condition. The works is clean and ready to hang. UV light inspection reveals retouching to the upper framing edge. Areas of retouching to the sky, notably to the upper right hand quadrant. Some areas of retouching to the horns and body of the stag. Also some areas of retouching to and around the deer. Some further areas of retouching elsewhere. Held in a gilt frame.
"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."

Home of the Red Deer is reminiscent of Sir Edwin Landseer’s Monarch of the Glen painted in 1851 (purchased earlier this year by the National Galleries of Scotland), perhaps the most famous Victorian painting of an animal. In both pictures the artists celebrate the majesty of Britain’s largest land animal, which became a metaphor for potency, nobility and dignity in the nineteenth century. Following Landseer’s death in 1877 Richard Andsell continued in his wake as the primary animal painter of his generation. He had turned to specifically Scottish subjects in response to the great fashion for paintings of the Highlands that occurred in the middle years of the nineteenth century. However he may have waited until after Landseer’s death to paint such a large and imposing depiction of a red deer stag with his herd on a rocky and mist-clad peak.