N Gauge Forum

Some years ago Sarah and I visited the art museum in Brussels, mainly for the Magrittes, but I was rather struck by this picture by Paul Delvaux.
(https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/uploads/vubisartworks/images/delvaux-6797dig-l.jpg) (https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/fr/la-collection/paul-delvaux-train-du-soir)
Train du Soir, Paul Delvaux, 1957 (https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/fr/la-collection/paul-delvaux-train-du-soir)

I bought a print of it in the museum shop, and Sarah got it framed for my Christmas present. It now hangs in pride of place in the living room.

Another picture that caught my eye recently is "Spirit of the Southern" by Harry Stevens.
(https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/images/109/899/medium_DF090315.jpg) (https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co226606/spirit-of-the-southern-painting)
Spirit of the Southern, Harry Stevens, 1969 (https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co226606/spirit-of-the-southern-painting)

This one is in the National Railway Museum. I've not seen it, but Tim Dunn posted it on Twitter and I immediately wanted it. I bought a print by mail order which arrived last week, and now a frame is on order from https://www.easyframe.co.uk/ (https://www.easyframe.co.uk/) - a company I've used several times and can recommend.

Probably the best know UK railway artist is Terence Cuneo

https://www.google.com/search?q=terence+cuneo&client=firefox-b-d&sxsrf=AOaemvIbzi9VYKUuyQrjkB9Scl6S4W2Sqg:1637667043474&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjv34qTsa70AhUV7rsIHW0QD_8Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1051&bih=456&dpr=1.82 (https://www.google.com/search?q=terence+cuneo&client=firefox-b-d&sxsrf=AOaemvIbzi9VYKUuyQrjkB9Scl6S4W2Sqg:1637667043474&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjv34qTsa70AhUV7rsIHW0QD_8Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1051&bih=456&dpr=1.82)

The French Impressionists were not averse to painting trains, railway bridges etc.

Quote from: Dorsetmike on November 23, 2021, 11:32:28 AM
Probably the best know UK railway artist is Terence Cuneo

https://www.google.com/search?q=terence+cuneo&client=firefox-b-d&sxsrf=AOaemvIbzi9VYKUuyQrjkB9Scl6S4W2Sqg:1637667043474&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjv34qTsa70AhUV7rsIHW0QD_8Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1051&bih=456&dpr=1.82 (https://www.google.com/search?q=terence+cuneo&client=firefox-b-d&sxsrf=AOaemvIbzi9VYKUuyQrjkB9Scl6S4W2Sqg:1637667043474&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjv34qTsa70AhUV7rsIHW0QD_8Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1051&bih=456&dpr=1.82)

I tend to prefer the paintings of David Shepherd myself

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=david+shepherd+railway+art&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 (https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=david+shepherd+railway+art&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8)

I was hoping we'd see one or two favourites of other forum members.

Quote from: Jim Easterbrook on November 23, 2021, 12:08:37 PM
I was hoping we'd see one or two favourites of other forum members.

Both of mine have already been mentioned - although I also like Turner's Rain, Steam and Speed.

We found this picture in the Bluebell Railway Carriage Shop a few years ago and both fell in love with it:
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/116/2975-231121130431.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=116530)

The artist is one Chris Dawson, whom I know not. It's obviously based on a photo, but I'm not complaining.

I also found this at the same place this year:
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/116/2975-231121130522.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=116531)

I very much like this type of semi-technical artwork. This is by Nick Hardcastle and has pride of place in my 'railway room'. (Sorry about the reflections...)

Cheers,

Chris

I see Mr Hardcastle has a web site: https://nickhardcastle.co.uk/railways/
Would it be rude to say that some of his pictures remind me of Poppingham?

That 'Spirit of the Southern' is lovely.  For my part I'm rather fond of some of the wonderful art produced for advertising posters in the early 20th Century such as this beauty from A.M. Cassandre

(https://www.swanngalleries.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cassandre-1928.jpg)

I think the creators of these pieces often get overlooked as they were commercial contracts

I also love some of the 20s / 30s Art Deco posters.  I have  this one up on my wall in the railway room

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Kn6aw2U0L._AC_.jpg)

I have this print of a 1937 poster by P.Colombi on the wall in my train room.

(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/116/193-231121210352.jpeg)

Quote from: Jim Easterbrook on November 23, 2021, 01:27:57 PM
I see Mr Hardcastle has a web site: https://nickhardcastle.co.uk/railways/
Would it be rude to say that some of his pictures remind me of Poppingham?

I agree a lot of his stuff is a bit chocolate-boxy, which is not my cup of tea either. Terence Cuneo's work is very atmospheric and appeals to me much more.

Cheers,

Chris

Quote from: Jim Easterbrook on November 23, 2021, 10:31:32 AM
Some years ago Sarah and I visited the art museum in Brussels, mainly for the Magrittes, but I was rather struck by this picture by Paul Delvaux.
(https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/uploads/vubisartworks/images/delvaux-6797dig-l.jpg) (https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/fr/la-collection/paul-delvaux-train-du-soir)
Train du Soir, Paul Delvaux, 1957 (https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/fr/la-collection/paul-delvaux-train-du-soir)

I bought a print of it in the museum shop, and Sarah got it framed for my Christmas present. It now hangs in pride of place in the living room.

Delvaux often painted railways. The railway museum at Schaarbeek had an exhibition of his railway work when I visited a few years ago.

Railway works by Turner and Monet are well known, but Walter Sickert did at least one painting of Bayswater station on the Circle line.

I particularly like Don Breckon's work..

(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/116/6067-241121124509.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=116561)

Check out :

https://warwickshirerailways.com/index.htm

This is the home page of warwickshirerailways.com that features a painting of New Street Station during the steam age by a bloke with a funny name that begins with 'A'.

Might be worth googling him to find out if he did any other railway-themed paintings ?

I bought this picture the last time I was in England in 2019.  It is a signed, limited edition print (227/850) of No. 35005 Canadian Pacific and it is by J.E. Wigston.  It is dated 1981 in the corner of the print.

This artist appears to have been quite prolific.  Anyone know much about him or his art (this print in particular)?

Ian


(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/116/3276-241121222632.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=116587)

As I don't have the monet to own a Monet or a Turner, I don't have anything to post.

But Monet did a ton of train pictures and "Rain, Steam, Speed" by Turner is iconic.

Regards,

John P

Quote from: icairns on November 24, 2021, 10:33:45 PM
I bought this picture the last time I was in England in 2019.  It is a signed, limited edition print (227/850) of No. 35005 Canadian Pacific and it is by J.E. Wigston.  It is dated 1981 in the corner of the print.

This artist appears to have been quite prolific.  Anyone know much about him or his art (this print in particular)?

Ian


(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/116/3276-241121222632.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=116587)

John is still around and still painting. Pre COVID, he was a regular at several model railway shows including York and Wakefield. Always happy to interrupt whatever he was working on for a chat about the subject.

Here's one from Monet

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Claude_Monet_-_The_Railway_Bridge_at_Argenteuil_(Philadelphia).jpg

Quote from: Jim Easterbrook on November 23, 2021, 10:36:55 AM
Another picture that caught my eye recently is "Spirit of the Southern" by Harry Stevens.
(https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/images/109/899/medium_DF090315.jpg) (https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co226606/spirit-of-the-southern-painting)
Spirit of the Southern, Harry Stevens, 1969 (https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co226606/spirit-of-the-southern-painting)

I've just seen this on Twitter. Something in common?
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Us5Ls_XwLhg/WhU17hAEG9I/AAAAAAABnQ8/mfwanbk8sioLSGdyjdqKOokiRX0YJhXzQCLcBGAs/s1600/SNCF%2Bborrowing%2Bposter%2B1975.jpg) (http://transpressnz.blogspot.com/2017/11/sncf-borrowing-poster-1975.html)

Here's one I obtained several years ago. It's an advert for a Tea Merchant in Portsmouth who blended tea specially for local areas. Unfortunately they folded some time ago which was a pity as they had a cosy little cafe attached to the factory which I frequented regularly.  A few of their blends were taken over by another Company further east, but not HBT sadly. No artist given.



(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/116/6273-011221161432.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=116831)

On my visit to Avignon last week, I found this in a gallery:

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Wagons_de_chemin_de_fer_-_Van_Gogh.jpg)

This is the only Van Gogh that is still in Provence. The Wikipedia entry I linked to is not a great quality image as it is a bit washed out compared to the real thing.

Funnily enough, I'm in the Hilton in Alpharetta just north of Georgia for a couple of days, and this is the picture in my room. I wonder if they put it up when I checked in?

(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/117/6889-081221022532.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=117046)

Looks like N gauge to me!

Quote from: Bealman on December 08, 2021, 04:59:15 AM
Looks like N gauge to me!

And someone overdid the weathering.

A bad case of Boxcar Willie :worried:

I went to the Magritte museum in Brussels last week and saw several paintings I'd not seen before, including this:
(https://mdl.artvee.com/sftb/501545mab.jpg)
La Locomotive (1922)
René Magritte (https://artvee.com/dl/la-locomotive/)

Sorry, don't like that one. I think even I could do better. Me four year old granddaughter definitely could.  ;)

Sadly, my friend Dave Stokes passed away recently in Palm Springs, California.  Dave was a professional photographer and, before retiring, he worked for many car and motorcycle magazines in the UK.  He was also a very talented artist and painted a variety of subjects. 

After his passing, his wife Carol began distributing some of his paintings to friends and family.  Knowing my interest in railways, Carol has very kindly given me the painting below. 

I know that Dave often worked from photos and I am curious to know if anyone can identify the origins of the painting below.  My first thoughts were French, German, or Japanese prototypes.  The loco wheels look red so then I thought German. 

However, all the locos are fitted with what looks like cowcatchers which would seem to rule out Germany.  The main locomotive has a four-digit number which is 108? (last digit unidentifiable).  I am not sure what the weird structure is on top of tender. 

It is also possible that Dave just worked from his imagination and he just made up the scene that he painted. 

Note that the paining has a double matte.  The inner matte is about ½" wide and is cut separately.  Then the painting continues for another ½" before reaching the outer matte (which is mostly cropped out of the photo below).

I would welcome any ideas of the protype for this painting. 

Ian

I agree that the red wheels give the engines a Germanic look, as do the smoke deflectors, particularly the ones on the engine on the turntable which are very reminiscent of the "German" smoke deflectors fitted to A3s by BR. The cowcatchers, as you say, contradict this. Perhaps a former German colony in Africa would fit? This is mere surmise based on a couple of minutes spent looking and thinking. I am no expert on either German or African railways. I look forward to somebody coming up with a more informed suggestion in due course.

Ali

To me the engines don't look particularly German. I would rather put them more somewhere East – maybe Soviet or Chinese (or Japanese but I don't think so)?

The cage on the tender is really unusual and I have not seen anything like this before. A condensing tender? I haven't found anything close.