Cecil M. Round Online

Welcome to our twelfth ‘Spotlight Feature’.  As a change to our normal review, rather than concentrate on a particular painting, this month we thought a more general appraisal of the changing face of Cecil Round’s signature, might add real value to the authentication of his work and to the general conversation about his painting.

Firstly, we should reflect that some of Cecil Round’s earliest work, dates back to 1881 when he was just sixteen years old.  Unsurprisingly for someone who was painting over such an extended period (1881-1933), our research has uncovered many different varieties of Cecil Round’s signature over the intervening period, for us to review.

There appears to have been little consistency in terms of how Cecil Round signed his name – sometimes opting for ‘Cecil Round’, at other times, ‘Cecil M. Round’, sometimes ‘C. M. Round’ or even just ‘C. M. R.’.  As such, rather than concentrate on the differences, let us instead focus on the similarities between all of the various incarnations:

1. The thick base and downward extension of the upper-case ‘C’, ‘M’, ‘R’ and lower-case ‘n’ characters (where applicable).
2. The thick upward extension of the lower-case ‘d’.
3. The thick downward extension of the second and fourth date digits (where applicable) but only on those numbers that can naturally be carried downward.
4. The ‘X’ shape configuration of the ‘8’ in the dates of his earlier work.
5. The full-stop dots that often follow the initials, surname and date, in later signatures.

[Here is a sample selection of Cecil Round’s signature, highlighting the common features.]The other area of commonality found with many artist’s signatures, is the location of its placement upon the board or canvas.  However, it is fair to say that we have found no consistency in terms of where Cecil Round signed his paintings – front, rear or both; top or bottom, left or right corner or centre-rear.  We’ve seen evidence of all of these locations or combinations thereof.  As such, we conclude that it is the five distinguishing factors we have highlighted above, in terms of the style (rather than the position) of Cecil Round’s signature, that are the best pointers to authenticity.

Welcome to our eleventh ‘Spotlight Feature’.  With the summer months drawing rapidly to a close and, as the younger generation start preparing to return to school for another academic year, it seems an appropriate time to feature two wonderful paintings from the Harrison family; now nearly one hundred years old.

Celia Halsey kindly contacted us last year with news about two paintings that have been in her family since they were commissioned in 1920.  The subject of the paintings – her maternal grandfather, Charles George Harrison (aged 11 in 1920), and his younger brother, Stanley Ridd Harrison (aged 9).  Both boys are wearing their school uniform, with Charles brandishing a cricket bat and George, the corresponding cricket ball.

It is unclear how the Harrison parents knew Cecil Round as they are believed to have been living in Cardiff in 1920 and we have not yet found any reference to Cecil Round visiting that district.  However, the paintings are a good size, measuring 75 x 56 cm each and are particularly good examples of Cecil Round’s skill when it came to portraiture; noting that whilst undoubtedly commissioned as a pair, only one of the two paintings is actually signed.  Strangely, we have seen instances of this before, with his dual portraits.

Celia takes up the story:  “I have previously understood from my grandfather, that his parents commissioned these paintings from an artist friend and that there was some element of ‘helping him out after the war’ – either by the commissions themselves or the paintings being in lieu of owed money.  However, no-one had been able to remember who the artist was.  Now that I have inherited the second portrait from a great aunt, (reuniting them for the first time in 50 years) I was very pleased to find the signature in the top left-hand corner of ‘Stanley’.”

We often find this with family portraits – they start out as a pair but then, understandably, each member of the family takes their own portrait and the two become separated, often staying within the family but then being handed down through parallel lines of descent.  How wonderful that in this particular case, the two brothers have been reunited across the generations, after fifty years apart – in turn, solving the mystery of who painted the unsigned portrait.

Welcome to our tenth ‘Spotlight Feature’.  This month we have decided to feature a very unusual painting – one that Cecil Round painted but about whose subject we know very little.  The painting first came to our attention in auction records dating back to 2007 when it was offered for sale under the descriptive title, ‘Evening Masquerade, Dancers and Musicians on a Terrace’.

Initially failing to sell, it was then offered for sale through an alternative auction house, where it sold as a real bargain! In fairness though, the low price may in part have been due to the auctioneer’s attribution of the painting to ‘a follower of Cecil Round’, rather than to Cecil Round himself, despite a clear signature in the bottom corner, appearing to be unquestionably that of the artist.

We were pleased to hear from the current owner of the picture a few years ago.  Linda Crosnier works in the art world and kindly contacted us from the USA.  She had purchased the painting a few years earlier.  “I purchased this painting for my daughter because she was interested in dance and, I thought this was a nice image that looked to be of the period and of good quality.  I knew nothing of Cecil M. Round.  I was sceptical of what I would receive.  However, my professional opinion is that the signature is contemporaneous to the painting and that the painting has some age.”

Like us, she was confused by the attribution.  We can only surmise that, as the subject matter is so very different to Cecil Round’s other work, perhaps at the time, the auctioneer was sceptical that it could have been by our artist’s hand; so played down the attribution.

Examining the picture in more detail we find that Cecil Round appears to have captured an evening performance – a ballet dancer performing to the accompaniment of two musicians, playing their instruments (possibly banjos?) whilst dressed in costume.  The scene is lit by make-shift lanterns with a full moon also shining brightly in the background beyond, over the sea.  The garden back-drop is clearly rather grand – steps rise to a terrace where Corinthian columns rise majestically, like an impressive souvenir from a nineteenth century grand tour!  Meanwhile, a low stone wall forms a parapet topped with stone vases and urns;  a stone balustrade descends, presumably where steps (or a more gentle slope) lead down toward the sea; perhaps even to a private beach.

The main dancer is resplendent in her pink tutu which compliments her auburn hair; styled in the period of the day.  The second, seated dancer, wears an outfit suggesting the picture dates perhaps from the early 1920s.  Whatever the occasion, the colours are bright and joyful – the lavish decorations suggest a celebration of some sort and the setting implies the event has a wealthy host.

I’m afraid there is very little else we can add but, perhaps you can help us to shed more light on the scene?  What was the event and where was it hosted – the setting is certainly memorable and distinctive?  In the meantime, we will enjoy the picture for what it is – very different to Cecil Round’s normal palette but wonderful for it, nevertheless!

Welcome to our ninth ‘Spotlight Feature’.  With the summer months upon us, it seems appropriate to feature one of Cecil Round’s seasonal landscapes.  Our focus this month will therefore be on The Golden Cap, near Bridport in Dorset.

This landscape was very familiar to Cecil Round as we know from the 1901 census records that he lived nearby at Lower Eype, in 1901.  By the time he painted this particular painting in the summer of 1923, he had been living in Devon for a number of years.  The census records for 1921 are not yet in the public domain, so we have been unable to verify where he was living in the early 1920s.  However, we know he had extended family (from his mother’s side of the family) in the Bridport area and so it is highly likely he would have retained contacts in the area and may even have been visiting family.

The Golden Cap, which derives its name from the distinctive outcropping of golden greensand rock near its summit, is a hill which is located on the coast of the English Channel, between Bridport and Charmouth, in Dorset.  At 191m above sea level, it is actually the highest point on the South Coast of Great Britain and is visible for miles along the coastline.  Today, the hill is owned by the National Trust and, forms part of the Jurassic Coast; a World Heritage Site.  It is accessible via a coastal footpath from Seatown, and takes around 40 minutes to reach the summit.

Shortly after creating the Cecil Round website, we were pleased to hear from Gabrielle Mellor who had inherited the painting from her father.  Having been brought up in the area, she had particularly fond memories of the Golden Cap and observed how, unlike many artists, Cecil Round had correctly captured the light, within his painting.

Unusually for the medium of oil, a number of Cecil Round paintings were framed behind glass and The Golden Cap was no exception.  This has helped to protect the painting over the intervening period.  As you can see, the eclectic mix of green, blue, purple and sandy orange retains the bright colour and freshness the painting would have had when it was originally completed, nearly a hundred years ago.