Wednesday Art

Briton Rivière (14 August 1840 – 1920) was an Irish artist born in London.  His family included several painters, and so Briton Riviere was introduced to art at a young age. He studied drawing and painting at Oxford, where, incidentally, his father William Riviere had persuaded the University to introduce the study of art for undergraduates. Though he exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1858, Riviere's first real success came only in 1869, with his picture The Long Sleep, showing an old man dead in his chair, watched by his two dogs (to sad to show below).  Riviere produced a mix of contemporary genre, classical and animal subjects, building a reputation as a fine colourist.  I had difficulty finding information about his private life or much about his works even though you probably recognise these paintings he isn't a painter that we hear about anymore.

The painting below “Sympathy” is a characteristic Victorian picture of a child in disgrace sitting on the stairs being comforted by her dog.  It tells its own story and shows unspoken sympathy between the dog and the little girl.

(I am not sure about the dog to the left - looks ready to bite)

"The spoonfull"