John Falconar Slater, Interior With Woman Reading

This early 20th-century oil painting by English artist John Falconar Slater (1857-1937) depicts a rustic cottage interior with an elderly lady reading. Slater was an accomplished, Royal Academy exhibited, painter of landscapes, seascapes and scenes.

Sitting quietly in her favourite chair by the window, she’s quite absorbed by the pages of a book - a novel perhaps? From her vantage point, there’s a view through to the garden, via a windowsill housing a pot of radiant blooms. It’s probably someone he knew well.

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Slater’s route into art was a rather unconventional one but, despite this, he became one of the foremost British impressionists of his generation. His early years were spent in gainful employment as a bookkeeper for his father’s milling business. But before long, he sought independence and riches by travelling to the lucrative diamond fields of South Africa. Here, he might’ve conceivably stayed but, following a fierce storm, his enterprise was destroyed, leaving him with no option but to return home.

When back in England, he pursued an artistic career in earnest with overcast skies, tumbling waves, and fierce winds, integral to his work. However, he was equally adept at capturing enchanting interiors with spirited brushwork as we see here. Note the complexity of the textures, particularly in the rendering of the floor and walls.

Resisting the pull of the London art scene, he remained in North Shields for the remainder of his life and developed a solid local reputation. This, in turn, translated into national accolades and ultimately the walls of the Royal Academy. Given his late start, it was an impressive achievement.

Today, he’s represented in numerous public collections including the Bank of England Museum, the National Maritime Museum, and the Government Art Collection.

Signed in the lower right and held in a later frame with s-scrolling rails, florets on a punchwork ground and scrolling foliate corner cartouches.

Learn more about John Falconar Slater in our directory.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 25½” x 21½” / 65cm x 55cm
Year of creation: c. 1910
Provenance: Private collection, UK.
Condition: Cleaned. Frame in good condition with minor age-related wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £4,200 for ‘Over Putney Heath’, Oil on canvas, Christie’s, The London Sale, London, 2002 (lot 33).
Our reference: BRV2039