I’m very proud to say that our saleroom in Fernhurst has been the scene of several memorable auctions of the works of Helen Allingham in recent years. This remarkable artist, who lived in Sandhills near Brook and died in Haslemere in 1926, was an inspiration for Vincent Van Gogh, no less, who studied her illustrations in The Graphic newspaper, which included those for the serialisation of Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd in 1874.
It was while she lived in this area that Allingham conceived her extraordinary and heart-stoppingly beautiful scenes of rural life, perhaps most notably her cottage scenes, with herbaceous borders and country maids.
Such was her talent that in 1886 she became the first woman awarded a solo exhibition at the Fine Art Society in London. Entitled Surrey Cottages, it depicted scenes in Witley, Haslemere and other villages stretching towards Dorking from Guildford. Just four years later, in 1890, she was the first woman admitted to full membership of the Royal Watercolour Society.
Since November, The Watts Gallery in Compton has been championing Allingham in a dedicated exhibition that runs until February 18. It is a must-see, so if you haven’t visited it yet, take some time off this Sunday or next and make the trip. The teas – and especially the home-made cakes – at the gallery add to the pleasure.
