Alfred Elias (English, fl. 1881-1911), Shepherd with Flock

Oil on canvas, signed at lower right, presented in a gilt composition frame

Stretcher size 27 x 45 1/2 in.; Frame dimensions 36 3/4 x 55 in.

Alfred Elias was a painter primarily known for his oil landscapes of cattle, sheep, dog and equestrian subjects, as well as human genre scenes and pastels. Born in Hayes, in the parish of Kent (now within the London Borough of Bromley), he received his early artistic training at Hatherley’s Academy in London. Elias later continued his studies in Paris under the celebrated portrait painter and teacher Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat, and also worked in the studio of E. Lumnian. He exhibited regularly at the Paris Salons for many seasons, earning a medal at the International Exhibition held in the French capital in 1889.

Elias also maintained a consistent exhibition presence in Britain, showing for many years at the Royal Academy in London. Among his exhibited works were Harvesting in Hertfordshire, shown at the Royal Academy in 1906, and the large landscape Summer Afternoon, which was selected for the Art Exhibition of the St. Louis World’s Fair (the Louisiana Purchase Exposition) in 1904. His works continue to appear in British and international collections.

Faint stretcher marks to center of canvas, surface grime, some spotting to deep cove molding of frame, obscuring varnish under UV light, no evidence of retouch.