R.J. Blesard Portrait of a Man, Head from Life

R.J. Blesard: Old Masters (1832–35)

This picture forms part of a superb collection by R.J. Blesard. They are likely the work of Robert John Blesard (1809–1839) of Woodhouse, Leeds. Described as 'Gentleman' in official records, he was the son of Robert Blesard (1773–1847), wool merchant, and his wife Susannah (1775–1855). The Blesards were a prominent Quaker family from the Guiseley area, related also to the Arthingtons, another wealthy Leeds Quaker family—the most famous of whom was Robert Arthington (1823–1900), philanthropist and recluse, known as the 'Headingley Miser'.

Robert Blesard is listed variously as resident at 18 and 21 Blenheim Terrace in Woodhouse—red brick villas now part of the University of Leeds. The Blesards are buried at Woodhouse Cemetery, along with many Leeds 'worthies'.

These pictures comprise various copies after a range of Old Masters as well as original compositions by Blesard inspired by their influence. They reflect the young artist's wide-ranging interest in the arts (he was a member of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society) and his versatility as a draughtsman. The varied subjects—biblical stories, classical antiquity, mythology, phrenology, 18th-century portraiture—suggest an exploration of the themes and styles pertinent to an understanding of Western art. But they also are often reinterpreted through Blesard's personal style and taste for the darkly Romantic and Gothic; a penchant indebted it seems to the macabre of Henry Fuseli and the mysticism of William Blake.

Robert John Blesard died of consumption aged just thirty, bringing a poignancy to these watercolours; his talents as a draughtsman apparently stayed undiscovered, remaining a work of private endeavour.

The collection bears the provenance of Captain Sir Charles Robert Bignold (1892–1970) of the prosperous Bignold family of Norwich, associated with the Norwich Union Insurance Company. Bignold was a distinguished collector of fine books and the outstanding watercolours in this collection are a testament to Bignold’s fine connoisseurship.