Philip Mould & Co.

From Beale to Biffin!

Having recently taken down our Mary Beale exhibition, we have now rearranged the portrait miniature cabinets and have included this delicate depiction of feathers painted by Sarah Biffin (1784-1850), one of the most accomplished and entrepreneurial British artists at work during the 19th century.

Born without arms and legs, Biffin taught herself to write and draw from a young age. The excellent condition of the present watercolour offers an unquestionable indication of Biffin’s remarkable artistic aptitude as a young artist. The verisimilitude of the colourfully barred stripes, mottled patterns, and soft, downy barbs at the base of every plume amount to trompe l'oeil, creating the impression the feathers might spontaneously float off the paper.

This level of technical competence and handling of watercolour was a remarkable achievement for a young artist at the beginning of her training and demonstrates her early propensity for detailed observation.

Find out more about Sarah Biffin on our website: https://philipmould.com/artists/artists/233-sarah-biffin/233-sarah-biffin/artworks-for-sale/

Sarah Biffin, A Study of Feathers, 1812
Signed and dated 'Drawn by Miss Beffin 1812' lower margin
Pencil and watercolour on paper
4 x 6 in. (10.1 x 15.2 cm)

👀🌿 Have you visited the 's current exhibition yet?

Roger Fry's 'Summer in the Garden', 'The Walled Garden', and 'Vanessa Bell in a Deckchair' - all previously with Philip Mould & Company - are on loan in their wonderful exhibition Gardening Bohemia: Bloomsbury Women Outdoors.

The show explores the cherished gardens of four remarkable women: ’s garden and studio at Charleston, ’s garden at Monk’s House, ’s Garsington Manor, and ’s gardens at Sissinghurst Castle.

A must-see show!

📷: Garden Museum

Our ‘Fruit of Friendship’ window display and exhibition have come to a close!

Thank you to everyone who visited this exhibition on the remarkable 17th-century artist, writer, businesswoman, mother and friend, Mary Beale. If you didn’t have a chance to see it, Fruit of Friendship is captured on our website through exhibition photography, an exhibition film, an audio guide, and a wonderful catalogue featuring essays by leading scholars and important works that have never been publicly displayed before.

📢 NEW BLOG POST!

It has been very special to exhibit Mary Beale's portraits of her family and friends in the very location on Pall Mall where they were painted. To find out more about this discovery and what this area of London was like at the time, read our latest blog post written by our researcher via the link in our bio.

Our exhibition Fruit of Friendship: Portraits by Mary Beale continues until next Friday 19th July!

Free to all. Booking not required.

🌷We had a beautiful day out at .end, Cedric Morris’ and Lett-Haines’ home, followed by a lovely evening at celebrating tomorrow’s opening of the fantastic exhibition Revealing Nature: The Art of Cedric Morris and Lett-Haines. More soon.

A great last day at the

We are thrilled to have been awarded Best Stand Design by The Treasure House Fair. Thank you to Edward Bulmer and Jane McCall for channelling the Bloomsbury aesthetic so beautifully into our stand, and to Max Rollitt for providing the furniture.

The fair continues until 8pm today. We hope to see you there this evening!

For complimentary tickets, contact the gallery.

🎥: .maple

Treasure House Fair 2024 | Philip Mould Gallery Philip Mould & Company are thrilled to have been awarded Best Stand Design by The Treasure House Fair 2024. Thank you to Edward Bulmer and Jane McCall for ch...

Sunday evening at with gallery dogs Cedric and Bunny

The continues until next Tuesday 2nd July. Find us at stand 307!

Spot our Fruit of Friendship exhibition in today's The Standard!

London Art Week: what to see and what to do This week-long fine arts event doubles up as a huge celebration of classic art, open to the public

The is now open!

Find us at stand 307 with a Bloomsbury inspired stand designed by in collaboration with artist () and with furniture provided by .

Looking forward to seeing you there!

🎙️ 🎨 We love an arts podcast!

Produced by The Walpole Society , the new official podcast of the Berger Prize, brings some of the most brilliant scholars in the field in conversation with host Dr Christina Faraday. Tune in to listen to the first two episodes with Dr Jonny Yarker, the chair of the Berger Prize judges panel, and Tim Clayton, the 2023 Berger Prize winner.

🎧 Listen on walpolesociety.org.uk, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

🖼 We are celebrating this year's with this intimate head study of Mary Beale’s son Bartholomew.

It was painted in the early 1660s when the Beale's lived in Hind Court - just off London's Fleet Street - where Mary kept an amply supplied ‘paynting room’. Given the fragility of paper, many of her studies from this date have not survived; those that did have been laid onto panel or canvas, as seen here. The present work originally consisted of just the sitter’s head and neck set against a dark background; the costume was added by another hand.

In the 1670s Bartholomew and Charles assisted their mother in her studio, painting draperies and stone cartouches. Unlike Charles, however, Bartholomew decided against becoming an artist and instead pursued a career in medicine.

Mary Beale’s career tells the story of a talented artist, writer, businesswoman, mother and friend. Find out all about it in our present exhibition 'Fruit of Friendship: Portraits by Mary Beale': https://philipmould.com/exhibitions/45-fruit-of-friendship-portraits-by-mary-beale/

Mary Beale
Bartholomew Beale (1656–1709), Early 1660s
Oil on paper, laid on canvas

Don’t miss our stand talks during next week!

📆 Friday 28th June at 2pm — Philip Mould in conversation with designer .
📆 Friday 28th June at 4pm — Philip Mould in conversation with dealer-decorator .
📆 Sunday 30th June at 4pm — Treasure House highlights with our Director .Hendra

Find out more about our stand: https://philipmould.com/exhibitions/46-treasure-house-fair-summer-2024/

We look forward to seeing you there!

🖼 Augustus John, Magnolias, c. 1930 (included in our Treasure House presentation).

📢 Your weekend plans sorted! 📢

As part of our present exhibition 'Fruit of Friendship: Portraits by Mary Beale' will be open to the public next Saturday 29th June and Sunday 30th June from 11am until 5pm.

Located in the exact site of Mary Beale’s family home and studio, the exhibition sheds light on how Beale succeeded in building a celebrated reputation and established a successful studio practice at a time when her profession was dominated by male artists.

The exhibition is accompanied by a film - also viewable online - an audio guide, and a comprehensive catalogue featuring essays by leading scholars Tabitha Barber and Dr Helen Draper.

📷: .maple

Not long now until the opening of the !

Infused with a Bloomsbury Group aesthetic and partly taking the painted interior of Charleston Farmhouse as its inspiration, has created an artistic domestic setting to celebrate the works of art on display in collaboration with leading artist (). The furniture has been provided by the renowned designer and dealer .

Included will be paintings by Harrington Mann, Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell, Jessica Dismorr, and Augustus John.

The fair will take place from 27th June until 2nd July 2024 at London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea.

👑✨It's your last chance to see 's portrait of King Charles! The portrait will be on view until this Friday, 21st June.

We are open Mondays to Fridays from 9.30am until 6pm. Booking is not required.

👀🎬 Did you watch the exhibition film of ‘Fruit of Friendship’ during your visit?

If not in London, you can watch it on our website or YouTube to find out more about how Mary Beale became one of Britain’s first professional woman artists.

🎥:

We are pleased to report that contrary to any speculation, by Jonathan Yeo remains unblemished and resolute.

The portrait will be on view at the gallery until Friday 21st June.

The odds were stacked against them 📚

The exhibition catalogues of Fruit of Friendship: Portraits by Mary Beale have now arrived at the gallery. Thank you to everyone who pre-ordered a copy - they will be with you soon!

🔗 Follow the link in our stories to get yours.

Friends since university days, Philip and are joining forces to create an immersive experience at Philip Mould & Company’s stand at this year’s

The paintings will be set against Edward’s masterful backdrop of colour and design, as well as Charleston-inspired motifs by () and a homely, domestic touch by . Expect works by Harrington Mann, Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell, Jessica Dismorr, Augustus John, Boris Anrep, and more.

The fair will take place from 27th June until 2nd July 2024 at London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea.

More soon.

✨Starting the week in royal red!

If you haven’t seen ’s portrait of King Charles yet, come by the gallery before Friday 21st June. Booking is not required.

📣 NEW BLOG!

In our latest blog, researcher Valeria Vallucci delves into the Beale’s life around the time Mary Beale captured her husband’s likeness in this intimate portrait. It was painted in the late 1650s whilst Mary divided herself between family and portraiture on the top floors of their new home in Hind Court, just off London’s Fleet Street, and Charles supervised the production of letters patent from a busy office downstairs.

🔗 Read the blog on our website: https://philipmould.com/news/369-charles-beale-man-of-the-city-1658-1665-by-valeria-vallucci/

🖼️ View this portrait of Charles Beale in our current exhibition, Fruit of Friendship: Portraits by Mary Beale, which is on view until 19th July.

A great morning shoot with our film wizard 🎬 Stay tuned!

Commissioned by the Drapers’ Company, this monumental portrait of - the first to which he has formally sat as King - by the leading figurative artist will be making its way to our gallery from Buckingham Palace, where it was unveiled this morning.

The portrait will be on public view at our gallery from tomorrow until the 14th of June, Mondays to Fridays, from 9.30am until 5.30pm.

Free entry. Booking not required.