Beautiful Fine 19th Century Oil Painting of Cats; Kittens at Play. Superb Work.

This is a beautifully detailed fine 19th century oil on canvas of two curious kittens investigating a smoking pipe entitled ‘On the Prowl’ by the listed British Victorian artist, William Edwin Pimm (1863-1952).

Pimm built his reputation as a painter of domestic and sporting scenes; being particularly fond of depicting both animals and sporting subjects. During the 1890s he exhibited at both The Royal Academy and the Suffolk Street Gallery of the Society of British Artists. This very charming work is signed by the artist, and bears an old auction label verso from December 12th 1895.

Although rarely available, fine oils by Pimm, such as the one being sold here, command significant prices through international dealers and prestigious auction houses worldwide.

Dimensions: (inc. frame) 66cm x 57cm (26” x 22½”)

Dimensions: (canvas only) 52cm x 41cm (20½” x 16”)

Medium: Oil on canvas.

Provenance: Fine Private UK Collection.

Presentation: 1900s swept and pierced giltwood Baroque frame.

Condition: Excellent. Professionally cleaned, and restored. Ready to hang. We do not sell dirty, damaged or unframed works of art.

Every painting we sell is packaged for shipment with great care and attention (see our feedback). We are also happy for winning bidders to collect from us in South Buckinghamshire. We will ship to most locations worldwide; please send us an email for a quote. All buyers will need to supply a complete address and telephone contact number for shipping forms.

Who are we?

At Fireside Fine Art we specialise in 19th century British and European oil paintings. We deal only in original works; no prints, lithographs or copies of any kind. We are dedicated to opening up the process of buying fine paintings to the widest possible client base. We believe everyone should own at least one beautiful piece of original artwork, and therefore spend every available moment sourcing and selecting paintings from fine old collections across the UK and abroad.

What do we sell?

Putting in the exhaustive research and long hours enables us to acquire 19th century British and European paintings of outstanding quality and – crucially – to offer them for sale in equally outstanding condition. We are the only dealer of fine art on UK ebay to professionally clean and where necessary expertly restore our paintings before offering them for sale. Our conservator is one of the most eminent fine art restorers in Great Britain.

Why sell such valuable paintings on ebay?

Selling through auction house such as Christie's and Sotheby’s can be a frustrating process. Because they have become used to being offered the lion’s share of the finest works they can afford to be choosey (which often translates as lazy and snobby) about what they consign. As a seller you can wait months for the sale and then when it finally does arrive there is no guarantee the painting will sell (but you will still be charged a fee) and if it does you are looking at huge commissions and a five week wait to get what money is left. Like galleries and conventional art dealers they have massive overheads, with premium addresses and numerous expensive (but not necessarily knowledgeable) staff to maintain. We do not. 

Why buy now?

It’s ironic that 99.9% of the world’s fine art is owned by 0.01% of the population when so many of the artists who created it lived and died in poverty. The fact is that the art world, especially in times of global recession, thrives on inequality. But whilst the possibility of purchasing works by Leighton, Frith, Holman Hunt, Constable, and Turner is always going to be the preserve of the super-rich it has never been a better time to invest in works by their contemporaries.

Many thanks for visiting, and of course please do call or drop me an email any time.

Best regards,

Gavin Claxton