Lot 80

Private collection, New Zealand
Thence by descent

RELATED WORKS:
Dorothea Sharp, Children paddling at the water's edge, oil on canvas, 50.8 x 61cm, sold at Bonhams, London, Blazing a Trail: Modern British Women, 20 September 2023, lot 20

In this painting, two siblings play in the surf, with the older child gently guiding the younger into the waves. Rendered in sparkling turquoise and white tones, the scene evokes the carefree pleasures of summer holidays and the warmth of childhood trust and adventure.

Dorothea Sharp (1873-1955) was a pioneer of British Impressionism whose determination to become an artist led her to study at the Richmond School of Landscape Painting in 1894, despite her family's objections. Working mainly in oils, she developed a distinctive approach of sketching outdoors and completing paintings in the studio, a method that suited her vibrant style. A visit to Paris in 1900 exposed Sharp to the French Impressionists and American artists such as Frank Benson and Carl Frieseke, influences that shaped her bright palette and expressive brushwork. Back in England, she gained widespread popularity for her joyful scenes of children at the seaside, gathering flowers, and enjoying the outdoors. By the 1940s, she was one of Britain's most celebrated artists, exhibiting extensively and travelling widely across Europe and North Africa. Like Dame Laura Knight, Sharp became renowned for capturing the innocence of childhood through luminous colour and energetic brushstrokes.