Valentine Thomas Garland, Inquisitive, circa 1870

Valentine Thomas Garland, R.A., R.B.A., R.I., R.O.I., R.S.A. (1868 - 1914) INQUISITIVE Signed and dated 1891, lower right. Watercolour and body colour Frame H. 45cm. x W. 39cm. Image H 19cm. x W. 15cm. The watercolour depicts a puppy looking inquisitively through a window of a barn whilst resting his front paws on the bottom of the wooden frame. Valentine Thomas Garland was an animal painter who lived in both Winchester and London. From 1868 to 1870, he exhibited 24 works at the royal Academy, as well as at Suffolk Street and the New Watercolour Society. Valentine Thomas Garland was the son of Winchester's Henry Thomas Garland and worked in both oil and watercolour, though he is best known for his oils. Garland's animal paintings have an emotional appeal for a wide audience, so his work was popular from the start. His paintings, particularly his dog paintings, tell a story with such emotion that the viewer is immediately captivated. As a result, Garland quickly rose to become one of the most popular artists of the time. Titles at the Royal Academy include: "Forty Winks", "A British Workman" and "The Sunshine of Life".