(P) Cedric Emanuel 'Saddlers Shop Antequera Spain'

Saddler's Shop, Antequera, Spain
Watercolours and ink on paper - Circa 1970s

Reminiscent of the Spanish work of Sir Lionel Lindsay, this original watercolour painting by Cedric Emanuel invites us into Antequera, the Spanish city known as the heart of Andalusia.  Large in scale and executed with Emanuel's eye for detail, the painting is a fine example of the work the artist produced during his European sketching trips.  The subject of the painting is a saddler's shop in Antequera: we are presented with the facade of the building, replete with juliet balconies furnished with pot plants.  The large timber doors have been swung open to reveal the saddler's premises within.  The arched doorways are quintessentially European.  This is a stunning artwork that has been enhanced by an elegant gold frame and matching gold fillet insert.
SIZE: Image: 29.0 x 38.0 cm -Frame: 50.0 x 60.0cm
MARKINGS  Inscribed lower right: "Saddlers Shop. / Antequera / SPAIN".  Signed lower left: "Cedric Emanuel".
CONDITION  This artwork is in impeccable condition with no foxing evident.
Comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by a descendant of the artist.

Cedric Raymond Emanuel (1906 - 1995) was born in Gisborne, New Zealand and arrived in Australia in 1908. He studied under Dattilo Rubbo, Royal Art Society and at the Julian Ashton Art School with William Dobell.  He learnt the art of etching under one of Australia's greatest etchers, Sydney Long.  At his first exhibition in 1938, his etchings received high critical acclaim: two were purchased by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and another won the Sesquicentenary Art Award.

He became Australia's best known pen and pencil sketcher, having illustrated more than fifty sketchbooks. He has painted numerous portraits of early and historic buildings, towns and Australian characters.  As such, he is considered to have great significance as a visual historian, his work providing a unique historical record unmatched even by some photographic collections.  In particular, his passion was for the terraced houses of Sydney, notably in the suburbs of Paddington and Woolloomooloo.  In 1981, his services to Australian art were recognised when he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).

Emanuel is also well known for the pencil sketches and watercolours he completed during his many working holidays overseas.  His favourite destinations were the quaint, historic localities and townships across Europe, and he travelled abroad almost every three years from the 1950s until the 1970s.  Many of his watercolours created in Europe bear a striking resemblance to the European work of that other great Australian master, Sir Lionel Lindsay.

Today his sketches and etchings reside in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, the National Library of Australia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Art Gallery of Victoria, and hundreds of private collections in Australia and abroad.  His tightly held sketches rarely surface on the art market, but can occasionally be found at Josef Lebovic Gallery in Sydney, where etchings sell from $660 and sketches from $1,350.