Object Description
Pair of Orientalist watercolours of North African street scenes by Leaver
English, early 20th Century
Frame: Height 57cm, width 46cm, depth 3cm
Sheet: Height 37cm, width 27cm
The beautiful paintings in this pair demonstrate the talent of the English Orientalist artist Noel Harry Leaver. The paintings, which are watercolours on paper, depict with great liveliness and charm two North African street scenes. In both, the domes and minarets of mosques are visible in the centre of the middle ground, their outlines sharp against the bright blue sky. The surrounding streets are relatively quiet with only a few people, indicating—like the blanching colour palette—the intense heat of the midday. Leaver has executed both works in a skilled manner, employing expressive brushstrokes and vibrant colours.
The paintings are contained within giltwood frames and are signed ‘Noel H. Leaver A.R.C.A.’, one to the lower left and the other to the lower right. The reverse of each frame features a gallery label for Wilfrid & Coates of Sunderland.