Sir Alfred James Munnings, P.R.A., R.W.S.
(British, 1878-1959)
Winter at Flatford Mill, 1928
oil on panel
signed lower right A.J. MUNNINGS
20 x 24in (50.8 x 61cm)
Provenance:
The artist until 1956.
The collection of G.T.G. Williams.
Sold Christies, London, 2 March 1978, lot 40.
With J.L.W. Bird, London.
The Property of a Private Collector, Pennsylvania, Sold Sothebys, New York, 2 November 2001, lot 212.

Exhibited:
Howard Young Galleries, New York, 1930, no. 25 or no. 28. (catalogue not traced).
Art Circle, Norwich, 1932, no. 99 or no. 103 (catalogue not traced).
(Possibly) Royal Academy, London, 1934, no. 74.
(Possibly) Christchurch Mansion, Wolsey Art Gallery, Ipswich, Loan Collection of Pictures by A.J. Munnings, RA, July 1934, no. 20.
Montreal, 1935, no. 34 or no. 43 (catalogue not traced).
Leicester Galleries, London, Paintings of A.J. Munnings, R.A. since 1928, April-May 1938, no. 51 or 54 (catalogue not traced).
Bond Street Gallery, London, 1956, no. 6 or no. 7 (catalogue not traced).
Wolverhampton, July - August 1956, no. 44 or no. 66 (catalogue not traced).

Footnote:
Munnings loved rural life and landscapes, particularly the valley between Dedham and Flatford where he lived, and his paintings depict the diverse beauty of the British countryside. He was a staunch proponent of en plein air painting and like the French Impressionists, he captures the principal characteristics of form while evoking the ambiance of the environment.

The River Stour was one of Munnings favorite places to paint and there are several works by him relating to this area. Flatford Mill used to belong to Golding Constable the father of the artist John Constable. John Constable painted many of his iconic works in this area. On the right side of the painting offered here the river lock and gate shown are the very ones seen in the Constables Flatford Mill ( Scene on a Navigable River) 1816-1817 (Tate Gallery, No. T03900), in between the mill and boy on the horse in that painting. As in the Constable painting Flatford Mill can be seen in the background as it can behind the trees in Munnings work.

There is a canvas version of Winter at Flatford Mill recorded by the Munnings Art Museum which was inscribed and dated 1928 on the stretcher bar. There are therefore two paintings which are basically identical, one on board, and one on canvas of the same size. The only notable variation in the oil on canvas version is the right side view is cropped so the lock gate is nearer the edge of the composition. It is likely the case that the work offered here is a study for the canvas version, which would be typical Munnings style of working.

Munnings painted another view of Flatford in the snow and ice in 1939, now in the collection of the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery, Bournemouth (see A.J. Munnings, The Finish, Bungay, 1952, p. 232, illustrated opposite p. 281).

We are grateful to Dr Bill Teatheredge, curatorial researcher at The Munnings Art Museum for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.

This work will be included in Tradition and Modernity: the Works of Sir Alfred Munnings by Lorian Peralta-Ramos to be published 2022.

Framed 28 1/4 x 32 1/4 x 2 1/4in ( 82 x 72 x 6cm)
The panel is laid down on panel. There is yellowing to the varnish throughout and possible adhesive residue remaining along the extreme edges of the painting (possibly from a previous frame). There is fine crazing to the panel throughout. There are a few scattered small areas of loss to the panel along the extreme edges. There is light surface dust throughout.

The panel is laid down on panel. There is yellowing to the varnish throughout and possible adhesive residue remaining along the extreme edges of the painting (possibly from a previous frame). There is fine crazing to the panel throughout. There are a few scattered small areas of loss to the panel along the extreme edges. There is light surface dust throughout.