Gypsies on the Beach at Zarauz (sic)

R.T. Pemberton, Esq. Williams & Son, London Lyon & Turnbull, British & European Paintings, London, 30 April 2014, lot 43 Private Estate, Toronto

“Exhibition of Works by William Russell Flint”, Royal Academy, London, 1962, no. 134

Ralph Lewis and Keith S. Gardner, “Sir William Russell Flint, R.A., P.P.R.W.S. 1880-1969”, London, 1988, page 26

Born in Edinburgh in 1880, Flint received his academic art training at the Royal Institute of Art and Heatherley’s School of Fine Art in Chelsea, which offered a robust illustration programme and counted Walter Crane and Kate Greenaway as alumni. At a time when illustrations for books, magazines and newspapers were highly regarded, Flint began his career working for The Illustrated London News before turning to private commissions from the Riccardi Press and Medici Society, specializing in limited editions of selected books. “Gypsies at the beach, Zarauz (sic)” offers a calm and serene view of a Spanish coastal town. Female figures are depicted in various states of undress, resting under white canopies, while two others weave at the right, dressed in warm tones of ochre and bright yellow. While Flint may be best known today for his pictures of Spanish gypsies, his poetic vision was as varied as it was skillful, revealing a lifelong meditation on the simplicity of nature. His works feature prominently in private and public collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester.