Harry Rutherfordpost Impressionist Portrait Of A Woman British 40's Art Portrait Oil Paintingcirca 1940
London, United Kingdom
£7,345 per item
Shopping at Vinterior
-
14-day return guarantee
-
Outstanding customer service
-
Secure payment
-
Buyer protection
-
Trees planted for every purchase
Item details
Height
109.22 cm
Width
88.9 cm
Depth
5.08 cm
Wear conditions
Good
Wear conditions
Excellent
Shows little to no signs of wear and tear.
Good
May show slight traces of use in keeping with age. Most vintage and antique items fit into this condition.
Average
Likely to show signs of some light scratching and ageing but still remains in a fair condition.
Apparent Wear and Tear
Visible signs of previous use including scratches, chips or stains.
Please refer to condition report, images or make a seller enquiry for additional information.
Description
This striking British Post Impressionist portrait oil painting is by noted Manchester artist Harry Rutherford. Painted circa 1940, the portrait is of a dark haired young woman in a fluffy grey wool coat and hat, gloves in her hands. She is seated on a pink sofa in a living room with white daffodils in a vase behind her. She looks as if she has just arrived and is gazing away to her left, perhaps contemplating the coming encounter. The palette is one of muted spring pastel tones apart from her pillar box red lipstick. It is a very engaging Post Impressionist portrait with fantastic details in her facial features and a great example of Rutherford's work.
Signed lower right.
Provenance. Cheshire estate.
Condition. Oil on canvas, unframed image size is 36 inches by 28 inches and in good condition.
Frame. Housed In a complementary frame, 43 inches by 35 inches framed and in good condition.
Harry Rutherford (1903-1985) - born on Market Street in Denton, Manchester in 1903, Harry was immersed in art from childhood; his father William formed the Hyde Art Group with his friends. Soon Harry was attending the Hyde School of Art on Saturday mornings and, upon leaving school at 14, he continued his studies by attending evening classes at Manchester School of Art, sharing the classroom with fellow student L.S. Lowry. By the age of 22, Harry was a proficient artist but he still wanted to learn more, so when he heard that the renowned and eccentric artist Walter Sickert was starting a class in Manchester, he was the first – and youngest – to sign up. Harry was then employed as Head Artist at a Manchester Advertising Agency and produced topical cartoons for the Manchester Evening News, but an opportunity arose for him to move to Cornwall to devote more time to painting and do some teaching. Harry couldn’t refuse. The opportunity also allowed him to develop his own style, distinct from his mentor Sickert’s. In 1930, he entered his painting ‘Penzance’ to the Royal Academy, who accepted it for their summer show. Commissions from the Duke of Devonshire followed; Harry had arrived as an artist. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Harry joined the RAF, who employed him to paint skies in exact detail to assist in their camouflage training. Alongside his war work, Harry continued to paint his own work, though sadly, much of it was destroyed when his studio was ruined during an air raid. In peacetime, Harry returned to the screens and to a different attitude to his accent. After working once more on ‘Cabaret Cartoons’, he was offered his own show, ‘Sketchbook’, on children’s television. The series ran for six years, with Harry pioneering the idea of art being created live on TV long before the days of Rolf Harris and Tony Hart. At the end of his series, he moved back to Hyde, taking up a teaching position at the Regional College of Art in Manchester. Apart from a brief excursion to Borneo at the invitation of the governor - he became the first Western artist to exhibit in the country in 1957 - Harry remained in Hyde for the rest of his life. In 1961 he was elected President of the Manchester Academy, holding tenure for eight years, while continuing to paint at his own studio.That studio was in Nelson Street in Hyde, in the adjoining house to the Rutherford family home he had lived in as a child and which he now shared with his brother Donald and cat Sugden. In 1985, after a period of ill health, Harry died, leaving a legacy of excellent paintings, many of which were of local scenes, and a collection of fantastic memories for anyone who knew the vivacious, humorous and talented man.
Condition report:
Good
Cancellations
We offer free cancellations and full refund for orders cancelled before dispatching. View full policy.
Returns
We have a 14-day return guarantee for orders from individual sellers, within the UK and European Union. View full policy.
Free collection available
Yes
Similar Paintings
Similar Paintings
More from this seller
More from this seller
Choose a Wishlist
Create Wishlist
- Selling at Vinterior since 2025
- Ships from London, United Kingdom
Cancellations and Returns
Last updated: 24th March 2025
We want everybody’s Vinterior experience to be seamless, so both buyers and sellers can fall in love with pre-loved. We designed our Terms of sale to treat everybody fairly.
However, sometimes things don’t go exactly to plan, and you may need to cancel or return an order.
To prevent this, we encourage you to check listings, photos and descriptions carefully before you buy. If you aren’t sure about a piece’s condition, size, provenance or shipping, just ask; click Contact seller to get in touch. Always contact your seller first if you have any queries, at any point in your purchase.
Our buyers receive the same protection when buying from all our sellers, both professional and verified.
Can I cancel an order?
There are many reasons why you might need to cancel an order, and you'll often be entitled to a refund. To cancel an order, click Create cancellation on the order page.
If you cancel your order before it has been dispatched, you will receive a full refund - including delivery costs. However, if your item has been shipped, delivery costs will not be included in your refund.
Please note: orders of bespoke, personalised or made-to-order pieces cannot be cancelled.
Can I return an order?
We understand that sometimes a piece isn’t the perfect fit. So if you no longer want your order, our returns process will ensure it finds a new home fast.
The Vinterior Guarantee included with your purchase entitles you to 14-day returns - allowing you to return any item within 14 days of the delivery date (except in specific circumstances, detailed below).
You can return your order if...
It isn't what you expected
If what arrives isn’t what you ordered, you can open a return. Just send us some photo evidence that the listing was inaccurate, misleading or misrepresented your purchased piece, and you’ll receive a refund.
You change your mind
If you don’t feel a piece is right for your space, you can return it. Once you request a change of mind return, you’ll be responsible for shipping the piece back to your seller as soon as possible. Delivery costs are non-refundable.
It's damaged in transit
In the rare event that an item arrives damaged or defective, you have a full 30 days from the date of delivery to return it for a full refund.
If your purchase arrives broken, always let us know. If Proovia delivered the piece, we can raise an insurance claim on the seller’s behalf. Or, the seller can raise a claim with their chosen courier.
What can't I return?
Just as there are some orders you can’t cancel, there are some you cant return, too. Personalised, bespoke or made-to-order pieces are non-returnable, and non-refundable. Sellers may also reject your return if the item has been altered in any way.
Please note: pieces on our site are pre-loved, not new. They may show some wear and tear; this is not sufficient grounds for a refund, unless the seller has misrepresented the item’s condition.
Lastly, neither Vinterior nor our sellers are liable for any damages or loss sustained in transit via third parties.
I'm eligible for a return. Now what?
To initiate a return, log into your Vinterior account, then go to the relevant order page and click Create a return. In the return request, be sure to include all the details: the reason for your return, an in-depth description, and photos of any issues or damage.
How will I receive my refund?
Once the seller confirms they’ve received the item (in the same condition it was sent), we will send your refund to your original payment method.
All items are inspected on return. If the seller receives the return with damage they don’t recognise, we will not be able to process your refund and the seller may need to send the piece back to you. You will be required to cover these delivery costs.
