Dorothea Sharp Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Dorothea Sharp Art Value Price Guide

Apr. 23, 2025
ATTRIBUTED TO DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1873-1955) Two young girls in a flower meadow. oil on board,
Est: £3,000 - £4,000
ATTRIBUTED TO DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1873-1955) Two young girls in a flower meadow. oil on board, Christies stamp on reverse. GW 689. 30cm x 40cms.
John Nicholson's Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers
Apr. 09, 2025
Dorothea Sharp, British 1874-1955, Shrimping at Porthmeor Beach, oil on board, 59cm by 49cm
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
Dorothea Sharp British, 1874-1955 Shrimping at Porthmeor Beach oil on board possibly indistinctly signed lower right
For-Auction
Mar. 12, 2025
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955), SUMMER FLOWERS IN A VASE
Est: £5,000 - £8,000
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955)SUMMER FLOWERS IN A VASE Oil on board laid to panel Signed (lower left)59 x 49.5cm (23 x 19¼ in.)Provenance:Walker Galleries Fine Paintings, Harrogate Acquired from the above, February 2008 and thence by descent to the present owner
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Mar. 12, 2025
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955), BABY IN A PRAM AMONGST THE DAISIES
Est: £3,500 - £5,000
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955)BABY IN A PRAM AMONGST THE DAISIESOil on canvasSigned (lower right)41.5 x 46.5cm (16¼ x 18¼ in.)
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Mar. 12, 2025
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955), DAISIES AND LILIES IN A JUG
Est: £5,000 - £8,000
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955) DAISIES AND LILIES IN A JUG Oil on panel Signed (lower left)60.5 x 50cm (23¾ x 19½ in.) Provenance:Sale, Sotheby's, London, 25 March 2009, lot 307 Acquired from the above and thence by descent to the present owner
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Mar. 04, 2025
▲ Dorothea Sharp (1873-1955)
Est: £50,000 - £70,000
▲ Dorothea Sharp (1873-1955) 'Girls Picking Daffodils' oil on canvas 105 x 90cm Provenance: Jas T Godfrey Esq.; Sotheby's, London, 'Modern British and Irish Paintings and Drawings', 6 March 1996, lot 159. Condition Report: Framed: 130 x 114cm Unlined. Craquelure and crazing. Rubbing and small abrasions with possible retouching to the hair of the girl in the foreground. Minor losses with the potential for flaking to the grass in the lower right quarter. The canvas tension is a little loose to the touch. Spots of mould on the stretcher. Not examined under UV light, for a full report please contact the department.
Sworders
Mar. 04, 2025
▲ Dorothea Sharp (1873-1955)
Est: £10,000 - £15,000
▲ Dorothea Sharp (1873-1955) 'Children Standing on Rocks Feeding Gulls' signed 'DOROTHEA SHARP' l.l., oil on board 37 x 44cm Provenance: Christie, Manson & Woods Ltd., London (Christie's), 'Paintings of the 19th and 20th Centuries', 9 October 1959, lot 149. Condition Report: Framed: 59.5 x 67cm Vertical craquelure. A clear, glossy varnish has been applied. Mould to reverse of panel. There is a fine U shaped crack beneath the large gull in the lower right quarter. Under UV light scattered spots fluoresce, predominantly where light blue paint has been applied. A larger area fluoresces to the right side of the standing child. Please see additional condition images. Under normal light the craquelure is consistent and the areas that fluroesce do not appear to be recent retouching.
Sworders
Feb. 25, 2025
Dorthea Sharp (British, 1873-1955) 'By the Shore' Oil on Board
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
Dorthea Sharp (British, 1873-1955) 'By the Shore' Oil on Board Undated, signed lower right, titled verso, depicting a woman and two children enjoying the beach, matted in a wood frame Property from: an Estate, Highland Park, Illinois Category: Fine Art > Paintings Estimated Sale Time: 10:13 am CST Shipping Status: Leonard Auction, Inc. will provide direct shipping for this lot. Please visit our website for a shipping estimate. Last modified: February 20, 2025, 10:13 am
Leonard Auction
Feb. 20, 2025
§ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955)
Est: £5,000 - £7,000
DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955) SUMMER FLOWERS Signed, oil on board 48cm x 38cm (19in x 15in)
Lyon & Turnbull
Feb. 20, 2025
§ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955)
Est: £5,000 - £7,000
DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955) SUMMER FLOWERS Signed, oil on board 48cm x 38cm (19in x 15in)
Lyon & Turnbull
Jan. 21, 2025
ATTRIBUTED TO DOROTHEA SHARP (1873-1955) BRITISH. Two young girls in a flower meadow. Oil on board. 1
Est: £3,000 - £4,000
ATTRIBUTED TO DOROTHEA SHARP (1873-1955) BRITISH. Two young girls in a flower meadow. Oil on board. 12" x 16" (30 x 40cms). Christies stamp on reverse. GW 689.
John Nicholson's Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers
Dec. 06, 2024
Dorothea Sharp (British, 1874-1955), Pic
Est: £6,000 - £8,000
Dorothea Sharp (British, 1874-1955), Picking Flowers, signed with initials l.l., titled verso, oil on board, 21.5 by 26cm, gilt frame. Provenance: Lot 208, Christie's, London, Victorian & Traditionalist Pictures, 12th March 2008. Note: Artist Resale Rights apply
Kinghams Auctioneers
Nov. 12, 2024
Circle of Dorothea Sharp (1873-1955) British, Two young figures in a flowering meadow, oil on board, Christies
Est: £3,000 - £4,000
Circle of Dorothea Sharp (1873-1955) British, Two young figures in a flowering meadow, oil on board, Christies stamp verso, 12" x 16", (30x40.5cm).
John Nicholson's Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers
Nov. 08, 2024
SHARP, DOROTHEA: "Still Life of Flowers in White Pitcher".
Est: CHF6,700 - CHF10,000
SHARP, DOROTHEA (Dartford 1873 - 1955 London) : "Still Life of Flowers in White Pitcher"; Öl auf Malkarton; 60,5x50,5 cm; sig. u.l., verso num. 3223
Dobiaschofsky Auktionen AG
Oct. 23, 2024
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1873-1955), STILL LIFE OF FLOWERS
Est: £6,000 - £8,000
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1873-1955)STILL LIFE OF FLOWERS Oil on board Signed (lower left)51 x 41.5cm (20 x 16¼ in.)Provenance:Spink & Son, London Thence by descent to the present owner
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Oct. 23, 2024
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955), BABY IN A PRAM AMONGST THE DAISIES
Est: £5,000 - £7,000
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955)BABY IN A PRAM AMONGST THE DAISIESOil on canvasSigned (lower right)41.5 x 46.5cm (16¼ x 18¼ in.)
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Oct. 22, 2024
Dorothea Sharp; British 1874-1955; Flowers in a Vase by a Window
Est: R80,000 - R120,000
Dorothea Sharp British 1874-1955 Flowers in a Vase by a Window signed oil on board 44 by 37,5cm excluding frame; 63 by 56,5 by 2cm including frame
Strauss & Co
Sep. 25, 2024
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) Porth Gwidden Rocks, St Ives
Est: £8,000 - £12,000
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) Porth Gwidden Rocks, St Ives signed 'DOROTHEA SHARP' (lower left) oil on board 40 x 50cm (15 3/4 x 19 11/16in).
Bonhams
Sep. 25, 2024
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) Children and gulls on the rocks
Est: £12,000 - £18,000
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) Children and gulls on the rocks oil on board 38.1 x 45.7cm (15 x 18in).
Bonhams
Sep. 25, 2024
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) In the dunes
Est: £8,000 - £12,000
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) In the dunes signed 'Dorothea Sharp' (lower left) oil on canvas 50.8 x 61cm (20 x 24in).
Bonhams
Jul. 11, 2024
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1873-1955), CHILDREN IN SUNSHINE
Est: £8,000 - £12,000
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1873-1955)CHILDREN IN SUNSHINEOil on board Signed (lower left)37 x 44.5cm (14½ x 17½ in.)Provenance:Private Collection, R. HepworthAlex Fraser Galleries, Vancouver
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Jun. 25, 2024
Â§ DOROTHEA SHARP, R.B.A, R.O.I. (BRITISH, 1874-1955)
Est: £3,000 - £5,000
Â§ DOROTHEA SHARP, R.B.A, R.O.I. (BRITISH, 1874-1955) DOROTHEA SHARP, R.B.A, R.O.I. (BRITISH, 1874-1955) Children paddling oil on board 25.4 x 35.4 cm. (8 1/4 x 13 7/8 in.) (unframed) Please note there is a further work painted verso Provenance Brian Parker-Milligan, thence by family decent
Chiswick Auctions
Jun. 25, 2024
Attributed to Dorothea Sharp ROI RBA (1873-1955), Still life of summer flowers in a white vase, oil on canvas, 56 x 50cm
Est: £400 - £600
§ Attributed to Dorothea Sharp ROI RBA (1873-1955) Still life of summer flowers in a white vase oil on canvas
Gorringes
Jun. 04, 2024
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955), PADDLING
Est: £3,000 - £5,000
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955)PADDLINGOil on boardSigned with initials (lower left)19 x 21.5cm (7¼ x 8¼ in.)Provenance: Purchased in July 1983Barbara Gibbs and thence by descent
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
May. 16, 2024
DOROTHEA SHARP (FIRMA_DI) BAMBINI AL MARE
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Firmato in basso sinistra.
DAMS Casa d'Aste
May. 08, 2024
Dorothea Sharp
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
British, 1874-1955 Above the Blue Sea Traces of an inscription (ll) Oil on canvas 20 x 24 inches (50.8 x 61 cm) Provenance: With Salander O'Reilly Galleries, New York Literature: Helen Entwisle, The Biography of Dorothea Sharp - Rock Pools & Sunshine, 2008, illus. p. 80 (Framed 24 5/8 x 28 1/2 x 2 inches) Relined and then backed by canvas; dirty varnish; edged with taped; difficult to detect restoration under UV light, however, there does appear to be some inpainting along the edges, in the upper right corner, a few spots in the children along the bottom in the lower left corner.
DOYLE Auctioneers & Appraisers
Mar. 20, 2024
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) Asleep with her favourite toy
Est: £5,000 - £7,000
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) Asleep with her favourite toy signed 'DOROTHEA SHARP' (lower left) oil on canvas 46 x 38.5cm (18 1/8 x 15 3/16in).
Bonhams
Mar. 20, 2024
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) At the seaside
Est: £12,000 - £18,000
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) At the seaside signed 'DOROTHEA SHARP' (lower left) oil on board 38.1 x 45.7cm (15 x 18in).
Bonhams
Mar. 12, 2024
Dorothea Sharp RBA ROI, British 1874-1955 - Sunshine and Flowers; oil
Est: £5,000 - £7,000
Dorothea Sharp RBA ROI, British 1874-1955 - Sunshine and Flowers; oil on board, signed lower left 'Dorothea Sharp', 45.5 x 38.6 cm (ARR) Provenance: Christie's, London, Ancient and Modern Pictures & Drawings, 19th May 1950, lot 104; private collection and thence by descent Note: this is a highly characteristic subject for the artist. As always with these works, the still life is central, the flowers filling the entire composition.
Roseberys
Mar. 07, 2024
Dorothea Sharp R.B.A. (British, 1874-195
Est: £10,000 - £15,000
Dorothea Sharp R.B.A. (British, 1874-1955), Summer Holidays, signed l.r., oil on canvas, 54 by 40cm, gilt frame. Note: Artist Resale Rights apply
Kinghams Auctioneers
Feb. 17, 2024
Dorothea SHARP (1874-1955), oil on canvas Playing at the shore, signed
Est: €20,000 - €26,000
Dorothea SHARP (1874-1955), oil on canvas Playing at the shore, signed Dorothea SHARP (1874-1955), olie op doek Playing at the shore, getekend
Maison Jules Veilinghuis
Jan. 20, 2024
Dorothea Sharp ROI RBA Child Pencil Study
Est: £250 - £450
Dorothea Sharp ROI RBA ( British1873 1955) Child Pencil Study on Paper. Signed D.S lower right. Oak framed under glass 51 x 58.5 cm.
Cooper Barrington LLP
Dec. 09, 2023
Dorothea Sharp ROI RBA Child Pencil Study
Est: £250 - £450
Dorothea Sharp ROI RBA ( British1873 1955) Child Pencil Study on Paper. Signed D.S lower right. Oak framed under glass 51 x 58.5 cm.
Cooper Barrington LLP
Nov. 11, 2023
Dorothea Sharp ROI RBA Child Pencil Study
Est: £250 - £450
Dorothea Sharp ROI RBA ( British1873 1955) Child Pencil Study on Paper. Signed D.S lower right. Oak framed under glass 51 x 58.5 cm.
Cooper Barrington LLP
Nov. 02, 2023
DOROTHEA SHARP - ON THE BEACH
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
Lot 35 Dorothea Sharp British (1873-1955) On the Beach oil on canvas signed lower left 14 x 18 inches frame dimensions: 17 1/4 x 21 1/4 x 1 3/4 inches, wood frame Provenance: From a collection at The Beekman, 575 Park Ave Richard Green, London, England label affixed to verso
Capsule Gallery Auction
Sep. 27, 2023
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) Building sandcastles
Est: £15,000 - £20,000
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) Building sandcastles signed 'DOROTHEA SHARP' (lower left) oil on canvas 38.1 x 46cm (15 x 18 1/8in).
Bonhams
Sep. 27, 2023
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) The scent of spring flowers (There is an oil sketch of flowers by the same hand on the reverse.)
Est: £10,000 - £15,000
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) The scent of spring flowers signed with monogram (lower left) oil on canvas 52.4 x 43cm (20 5/8 x 16 15/16in). There is an oil sketch of flowers by the same hand on the reverse.
Bonhams
Sep. 20, 2023
Dorothea Sharp R.B.A., R.O.I. (British, 1874-1955) Children paddling at the water's edge 50.8 x 61 cm. (20 x 24 in.)
Est: £15,000 - £20,000
Dorothea Sharp R.B.A., R.O.I. (British, 1874-1955) Children paddling at the water's edge signed 'DOROTHEA SHARP' (lower left) oil on canvas 50.8 x 61 cm. (20 x 24 in.)
Bonhams
Sep. 20, 2023
Dorothea Sharp (1873-1955) British, Two young figures in a flowering meadow, oil on board, Christies stamp ver
Est: £5,000 - £8,000
Dorothea Sharp (1873-1955) British, Two young figures in a flowering meadow, oil on board, Christies stamp verso, 12" x 16", (30x40.5cm).
John Nicholson's Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers
Jul. 13, 2023
DOROTHEA SHARP, R.B.A., R.O.I., V.P.S.W.A. (BRITISH, 1874-1955) Paddling am
Est: £12,000 - £18,000
DOROTHEA SHARP, R.B.A., R.O.I., V.P.S.W.A. (BRITISH, 1874-1955) Paddling among the rocks oil on canvas 25 x 30 in. (63.5 x 75 cm.)
Christie's
Jul. 11, 2023
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955), THE FAMILY OUTING
Est: £15,000 - £25,000
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955)THE FAMILY OUTINGOil on canvasSigned (lower right)76.5 x 64cm (30 x 25 in.)Provenance:Private Collection, The Republic of Ireland (until 2010)Private Collection, UK
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Jul. 11, 2023
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955), STILL LIFE OF FLOWERS
Est: £3,000 - £5,000
λ DOROTHEA SHARP (BRITISH 1874-1955)STILL LIFE OF FLOWERS Oil on canvas laid to board Signed with initials (lower left)29 x 32cm (11¼ x 12½ in.)
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Jul. 07, 2023
Mixed flowers
Est: £6,000 - £8,000
Property from a British Private Collection Dorothea Sharp Dartford 1874–1955 London Mixed flowers signed lower left: DOROTHEA SHARP oil on board unframed: 45.8 x 38.1 cm.; 18 x 15 in. framed: 62 x 54.5 cm.; 24½ x 21½ in.
Sotheby's
May. 18, 2023
Dorothea Sharp (British, 1874–1955) Children at the Beach and On the Rocky Shore (a double-sided work)
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
Dorothea Sharp (British, 1874–1955) Children at the Beach and On the Rocky Shore (a double-sided work) oil on panel signed Dorothea Sharp (lower left) 11 1/4 x 15 1/4 inches. Property from a Private Collection, Chicago, Illinois Provenance: Callard of London, Chicago Acquired from the above by the present owner, 1962 Lot note: At the Beach (Lot 39) and Children at the Beach and On the Rocky Shore (A double-sided work) (Lot 40) exemplify Dorothea Sharp's highly impressionistic style and spontaneous brushwork. Well known during her own lifetime as a painter, she captured the wonder of childhood with her depictions of children on the beach and in pastoral landscapes, as well as in domestic settings. The Editor of The Artist praised Sharp as, "one of England's greatest living woman painters," and commented upon the charm of her art: "No other woman artist gives us such joyful paintings as she. Full of sunshine and luscious colour, her work is always lively harmonious and tremendously exhilarating...the chief attractions of Miss Sharp's delightful pictures are her happy choice of subjects, and her beautiful colour schemes. Rollicking children bathed in strong sunlight, playing in delightful surroundings, her subjects appeal because they are based on the joy of life. And she presents them equally happily, with a powerful technique which enables her to make the most of her wonderful sense of colour" (Harold Sawkins, "Dorothea Sharp, ROI, RBA," The Artist, April 1935, pp. 55-8). Sharp first studied art at the Regent Street Polytechnic in London at the age of 21, and then traveled to Paris to continue her training. It was here that she became heavily influenced by the impressionists, especially Monet, with their confident brushstrokes and strong colors. She later wrote, "I think the young painters of this decade little realize what we owe to those great masters of the French Impressionist School" (Dorothea Sharp, The Student's Book of Oil Painting, New York, 1937, p. 31). However, the artist's handling of broken light and color was not only derived by her study of the impressionists, but also by instinct. She once described color as "that elusive something we cannot quite define...To have good colour sense is to be in touch with nature...Colour is emotional-it is felt, in its finer sense rather than seen. Colour cannot be taught-beyond a point-it is inborn (The Artist Magazine, April 1931, p. 48). Upon her return from Paris, Sharp settled in London, where she maintained a studio for the rest of her life. By the 1910s, though, she would spend much of the year in the art colony of St. Ives, Cornwall, drawn to its sunny skies and rocky beaches. It was here that she executed works such as At the Beach and Children at the Beach and On the Rocky Shore (A double-sided work), which delight in the pleasures of a day by the water. Children splash playfully about in breeze-ruffled waves and women contentedly lounge in bright sunshine. The thick, colorful impasto paint reveals the artist's quick use of a heavily loaded brush and her instinctive paint strokes highlight the carefree and relaxed atmosphere. In these vibrant works, Sharp skillfully renders happy memories of never-ending summer days in the sand and sea.
Hindman
May. 18, 2023
Dorothea Sharp (British, 1874–1955) At the Beach
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
Dorothea Sharp (British, 1874–1955) At the Beach oil on canvas signed Dorothea Sharp (lower left); titled and inscribed (stretcher) 30 x 30 inches. Property from a Private Collection, Chicago, Illinois Provenance: Callard of London, Chicago Acquired from the above by the present owner, 1962 Lot note: At the Beach (Lot 39) and Children at the Beach and On the Rocky Shore (A double-sided work) (Lot 40) exemplify Dorothea Sharp's highly impressionistic style and spontaneous brushwork. Well known during her own lifetime as a painter, she captured the wonder of childhood with her depictions of children on the beach and in pastoral landscapes, as well as in domestic settings. The Editor of The Artist praised Sharp as, "one of England's greatest living woman painters," and commented upon the charm of her art: "No other woman artist gives us such joyful paintings as she. Full of sunshine and luscious colour, her work is always lively harmonious and tremendously exhilarating...the chief attractions of Miss Sharp's delightful pictures are her happy choice of subjects, and her beautiful colour schemes. Rollicking children bathed in strong sunlight, playing in delightful surroundings, her subjects appeal because they are based on the joy of life. And she presents them equally happily, with a powerful technique which enables her to make the most of her wonderful sense of colour" (Harold Sawkins, "Dorothea Sharp, ROI, RBA," The Artist, April 1935, pp. 55-8). Sharp first studied art at the Regent Street Polytechnic in London at the age of 21, and then traveled to Paris to continue her training. It was here that she became heavily influenced by the impressionists, especially Monet, with their confident brushstrokes and strong colors. She later wrote, "I think the young painters of this decade little realize what we owe to those great masters of the French Impressionist School" (Dorothea Sharp, The Student's Book of Oil Painting, New York, 1937, p. 31). However, the artist's handling of broken light and color was not only derived by her study of the impressionists, but also by instinct. She once described color as "that elusive something we cannot quite define...To have good colour sense is to be in touch with nature...Colour is emotional-it is felt, in its finer sense rather than seen. Colour cannot be taught-beyond a point-it is inborn (The Artist Magazine, April 1931, p. 48). Upon her return from Paris, Sharp settled in London, where she maintained a studio for the rest of her life. By the 1910s, though, she would spend much of the year in the art colony of St. Ives, Cornwall, drawn to its sunny skies and rocky beaches. It was here that she executed works such as At the Beach and Children at the Beach and On the Rocky Shore (A double-sided work), which delight in the pleasures of a day by the water. Children splash playfully about in breeze-ruffled waves and women contentedly lounge in bright sunshine. The thick, colorful impasto paint reveals the artist's quick use of a heavily loaded brush and her instinctive paint strokes highlight the carefree and relaxed atmosphere. In these vibrant works, Sharp skillfully renders happy memories of never-ending summer days in the sand and sea.
Hindman
May. 03, 2023
DOROTHEA SHARP, THREE CHILDREN FEEDING BIRDS,
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
DOROTHEA SHARP (British, 1874 - 1955) THREE CHILDREN FEEDING BIRDS oil on canvas 61.0 x 61.5 cm signed lower right: DOROTHEA SHARP PROVENANCE Private collection, United Kingdom Private collection, United Kingdom Private collection, Adelaide ESSAY Dorothea Sharp was a highly successful British artist whose impressionistic paintings of children attracted national acclaim in the first half of the twentieth century. Sharp’s paintings follow the path set by Mary Cassat and Berthe Morisot whose own studies of children are some of the most sensitive and sought-after works in the Impressionist oeuvre. In Australian art, there is a strong correlation between Sharp’s Three Children Feeding Birds and paintings such as Jane Sutherland’s much-loved Field naturalists, c.1896, in the National Gallery of Victoria. Both works depict three children caught in an unguarded moment, fascinated by what they observe; and Sharp’s painting demonstrates the artist’s own fascination in such youthful innocence. Born to a comfortably wealthy family, Sharp was determined to be an artist from a young age following a visit to the Royal Academy. However, her family were not supportive and she only began her studies at the age of twenty-one after receiving a small legacy from an uncle. She first enrolled at the Richmond School of Landscape Painting in Surrey, then transferred to night classes at the Regent Street Polytechnic. Whilst there, she received encouragement during school visits by Sir David Murray and Sir George Clausen, two significant British painters of the time. However, the transformative event in her development happened in 1900 at the age of twenty-six, when she went to Paris and saw the work of Monet, Matisse and van Gogh. Monet’s influence can be seen in her subsequent handling of broken colour and light, whilst the inspiration of the other two can be detected in Sharp’s preference for bright outline. On her return to London, she declined a wedding proposal to instead immerse herself in the London art scene, joining the Royal Society of British artists and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. Initially working from a small back bedroom in her home at Carlton Mansions in Hampstead, London, Sharp had her first works exhibited at Royal Academy in 1901 and continued to do so until 1948. She visited the artists’ community in St Ives, Cornwall, in 1920, and was so delighted by what she found that she took one of the Porthmeor Studios which Sharp retained over many years. Whilst there, she was often to be found painting on the nearby beaches surrounded by children, mostly the daughters of fishermen, who were her chief sitters. She eventually moved to St. Ives permanently during World War II. Sharp’s first solo exhibition in London was held in 1933 and sold out in a couple of days, despite being mounted at the height of the Depression. An elected member, then Vice-President, of the Society of Women Artists, her work was hung in the Paris Salon, and she exhibited alongside other famous contemporaries such as Dame Laura Knight and Sir Alfred Munnings. Three Children Feeding Birds demonstrates Sharp’s prodigious talent with its autumnal setting in a park, a charming and beautifully painted work which matches the description of her paintings given by the editor of The Artist magazine, that ‘her subjects live because they are based on the joy of life.’1 1. Sawkins, H., ‘Artists of note, no. 2: Dorothea Sharp, ROI RBA’, The Artist, London, vol. 9, no. 2, April 1935, pp. 55 – 58 ANDREW GAYNOR
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 29, 2023
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) Playmates
Est: £20,000 - £30,000
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) Playmates signed 'Dorothea Sharp' (lower right) oil on canvas 71.1 x 88.9cm (28 x 35in).
Bonhams
Mar. 29, 2023
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) Dappled sunshine, Cassis, France
Est: £7,000 - £10,000
Dorothea Sharp, RBA, ROI (British, 1874-1955) Dappled sunshine, Cassis, France signed 'DOROTHEA SHARP' (lower left); further signed and titled 'CASSIS.FRANCE/DOROTHEA SHARP' (on the reverse) oil on board 27 x 35cm (10 5/8 x 13 3/4in).
Bonhams