Original Museum-Exhibited Watercolor by Frederick George Hicks FRIAI (1870-1965) – "Verona"
€600.00
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Original Museum-Exhibited Watercolor by Frederick George Hicks FRIAI (1870-1965) – "Verona"
€600.00
Original Museum-Exhibited Watercolor by Frederick George Hicks FRIAI (1870-1965) – "Verona" (Exceptional Double-Artist Provenance)
Note: This artwork is for collection only, please select the option pick up at the checkout stage.
An extraordinary, highly documented investment piece for collectors of fine Irish art, this original watercolor and ink wash painting is by the highly celebrated Dublin architect and artist Frederick George Hicks. Titled "Verona", the piece beautifully exhibits Hicks’ precise architectural perspective, capturing a dramatic, narrow Italian street scene winding between historic masonry structures toward a distant arched gateway and tower dome.
Hicks' mastery of perspective highlights his background as an award-winning architect (pioneering the Marino estate and designing Dublin's Iveagh Markets), while his fluid wash work showcases why he was a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA).
This painting was executed on paper during Hicks' formative architectural study tour of Northern Italy in the early 1900s. Capturing the dramatic, soaring perspectives of old Verona, this exact trip inspired Hicks to write his celebrated professional paper, "Notes on an Architectural Tour in Northern Italy," which he read before the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) upon his return to Dublin. The painting stands as a pristine, visual companion piece to his written architectural legacy.
A Flawless, Complete Irish Art Provenance Trail:
The reverse of the frame preserves an outstanding, unbroken chain of custody that bridges two prominent 20th-century Irish art figures:
The reverse of the frame preserves an outstanding, unbroken chain of custody that bridges two prominent 20th-century Irish art figures:
- The Eileen Reid Collection & Exhibition History: This painting was originally held in the private collection of the distinguished Dublin painter and musician Eileen Reid (née Oulton, 1894–1981). An official red-bordered gallery exhibition loan label on the reverse documents that Mrs. Reid loaned this cherished piece from her home at 19 Upper Mount Street for an institutional retrospective exhibition following Hicks' passing in 1965, marking it "Not For Sale."
- The Brian Coyle Estate Acquisition: Following Eileen Reid’s passing in April 1981, her prestigious estate was settled. In July 1981, the legendary Fine Art Director and Principal Auctioneer of James Adam & Sons (Adam's Auctioneers), Brian Coyle, recognized the immense value of this piece and purchased it directly from the Eileen Reid Estate for his own personal collection.
- Malahide Historical Notes: The backing paper also preserves an important handwritten biography detailing Hicks' life, noting his architectural career, his close ties to Malahide Golf Club, and his residency at Hicks' Tower, Malahide—the historic coastal Martello tower he famously converted into his home and design studio.
Executed on paper, the artwork showcases a sophisticated palette of warm ochres and terracottas juxtaposed against cool, heavy charcoal grays and localized washes of blue in the sky. This original painting comes beautifully housed in its vintage glass-fronted wooden gallery frame, with all historical labels and handwriting fully intact on the reverse.
Specifications & Details:
- Artist: Frederick George Hicks FRIAI (Irish / British, 1870–1965)
- Title: Verona
- Medium: Original Watercolor and Ink on Paper
- Provenance: Former Collection of Eileen Reid (Artist, 1894–1981); Former Collection of Brian Coyle (Fine Art Director, Adam's Auctioneers, Dublin).
- Historical Associations: Inscribed with biographical details regarding Hicks' Tower, Malahide.
- Dimensions: TBA
- Condition: Good antique/vintage museum-grade condition. The paper shows normal, light-induced age toning and even warming that enhances its antique warmth. The reverse backing paper retains its full array of original shipping labels, loan tags, auction numbering stickers, and ink handwriting beautifully intact.