Description
Here is a newspaper article about this painting and artist:-
Goldsmith and Sonning….If it’s good enough for George!
Sonning has always been a village that has had its fair share of high-profile residents. Sonning’s history goes back to Saxon times when, it is thought, the original name of the village was Sunning, after the Saxon Chief Sunna, who lived nearby. The river crossing at Sonning has always made it an important strategic setting and that is as true today as it has always been, just ask the commuters who use the bridge at Sonning to avoid the traffic of Reading or Henley. Even back in Roman times Sonning must have been an important crossing point on The Thames as there is strong evidence of a Roman road crossing South Oxfordshire towards a bridging point at Sonning. Today Sonning is known as a beautiful idyllic village beside the picturesque River Thames with a lovely “old country” pub, a wonderful community theatre and a good few great places to eat, close to the big town amenities of Reading and not far from London, yet keeping the feel of a small rural village. Perhaps that is why it attracts so much interest from the rich and famous, with the likes of rock and film stars mingling with politicians and TV personalities.
Back before The Great War the village was remarkably similar to how it is today, as can be seen from this week’s featured painting. This is an original watercolour by Walter Goldsmith of Sonning Village painted in 1913. The painting is the view taken from before Sonning Bridge looking back into the village with the road up and out of the village towards the Bath Road, Woodley and Twyford to the left of centre, with the cottages lining the road on the left-hand side of the picture. The visible buildings and layout have changed very little in the intervening 100+ years.
Walter Henry Goldsmith was a British artist of some repute who lived for a major part of his life in Maidenhead. He was born in 1857 and died in 1943. The research I have done has sadly not thrown up much else about his personal life until he became known as an artist. He exhibited at many prestigious exhibitions and galleries all around the UK, as follows:
The Royal Academy, London…18 times
The Royal Society of Artists, Birmingham…3 times
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool…5 times
City Art Gallery, Manchester…2 times
Institute of Fine Art, Glasgow…1 time
Dudley and New Dudley Galleries…5 times
