Lot 987
C.F.A VOYSEY (1857-1941) 'THE RIVER RUG'
a Sun Printed design hand coloured by Charles Voysey, a design for The River Rug which was produced at Wilton in 1903. The design depicts an aerial view of a rural River landscape, with a variety of figures and houses, farms and fields, and a variety of Boats. In it's original frame and with a variety of labels including an exhibition label from 1934, label with writing (The River Mat Hearth Mat, 8ft by 4ft, C.F.A Voysey, 73 St James) and with the writing This is the property of C F Annesley Voysey, Designed and Drawn by him, 73 St James St. Frame 58.5cms by 30cms, Picture 52.5cms by 25cms.
*This is now believed to be a printed base which Voysey then hand coloured. This process called the Sun Printing method, was something Voysey employed, and two hand coloured versions were produced in 1925 - this presumably being one of them. We know one of these versions was framed in 1934, probably for an exhibition mentioned on the back of the picture. My thanks to the Voysey Society for this information.
*This design was given by Voysey to George Nelson Haden, Chairman of G.N Haden & Sons (Hadens of Trowbridge) who was a friend and also worked on some of Voysey's projects with his firm. This has passed from Haden through the family. Haden is shown standing in the centre of the image.
The original Rug is now at the Victoria & Albert Museum, who received this in 2014 and it is now exhibited in the British Galleries.
Provenance:
"My Grandfather G N Haden (known by his second name Nelson) was to my knowledge a friend of C F A Voysey and they obviously had a shared interest, in buildings and in design. In my Grandparents home were a number of items of furniture designed by Voysey's son, Charles Cowles Voysey. I remember a very beautiful dining table and chairs.
In the 1930s' my Grandfather built a house for his family to holiday in Trebetherick, Nr Rock, Cornwall. It was called Mole End. I know Voysey visited and advised, as a friend, and I've attached an old postcard, showing the house, marked with a red arrow. It was the first to be built on the point I believe. The land in front is now National Trust. The postcard also shows Brock, marked with a yellow arrow. I mention Brock because Voysey's son Charles Cowles Voysey was the architect. This link of a recent planning application mentions this: and one must assume the commission was likely to have come about by the way of family connections.
My Grandfather was younger than Voysey. He died in 1960, aged just 60. He was highly regarded in his field (awarded the OBE in 1948) and I imagine together they shared a mutual respect for each other's skills. I know my Grandfather had a great appreciation for design and would have had a great respect for Voysey's vision. Remembering Mole End the influences are evident".
