A Moment of Sadness (1981)
Photo: Paul Carter      
© Richard Eurich Paintings

A Moment of Sadness

1981

Oil on board
51 x 76 cm

Private Collection, UK


Rainbows Umbrellas | Hats All Works in RA Summer Exhibitions 1937 to 1993 Works | 1980 to 1989 Music | Dance Strange Pictures Harlequins | Pierrots | Clowns Richard Eurich (1903-1992) Visionary Artist Figures on a Beach

More details...

Recto: Signed and dated lower left: R. Eurich ’81

Aka: A Moment of Sadness [RA, and the Fine Art Society, 1991], Moment of Sadness [Fine Art Society, 1983, and Millais Gallery]

Verso: Inscribed " A MOMENT OF SADNESS, RICHARD EURICH R.A. , 1981", Fine Art Society label (1983), Fine Art Society label ( 2003), RA label (1993), and another RA label (date torn off)

Other measurements: 51 x 76 cm [REP], 50.8 x 76.2 cm

England The North Whitby Yorkshire Pierrot banjo beach clown dancer fantasy girl harlequin hat lighthouses musical instrument problem picture rainbow sand stormy turbulent tutu waves

Sixty-odd years after his life-changing holiday in Whitby, Dad was still using the resonant imagery of its harbour in his paintings. The two lighthouses and the harbour occur in quite a few of his pictures as places of security from the open seas. But here there is a certain bleakness in this rampart of stone and a feeling of portentousness.

The jokey or angry clowns of his earlier work have given way to more melancholy figures. Nostalgia haunts the picture.

Provenance

EXHIBITED | 16th May to 16th Aug 1981

"Summer Exhibition 1981" - Royal Academy of Arts, London

Cat 86

EXHIBITED | 4th to 18th Sep 1982

"Beaches, Breezes and Boats – an Exhibition of Paintings by Richard Eurich R.A." - Salisbury Divisional Library, Wiltshire

Cat 18

EXHIBITED | 14th Mar to 8th Apr 1983

"Eurich at 80, Early Drawings and Recent Paintings" - The Fine Art Society, London    (toured to The Manor House Museum and Gallery, Ilkley, Yorkshire)

Cat 59

EXHIBITED | September 1984

"Paintings by Richard Eurich" - Ash Barn Gallery, Petersfield

Cat 5

EXHIBITED | 14th Oct to 8th Nov 1991

"Richard Eurich: Paintings Since the War" - The Fine Art Society, London

Cat 36, illustrated

EXHIBITED | 6th Jun to 15th Aug 1993

"Summer Exhibition 1993" - Royal Academy of Arts, London

Cat 1313

EXHIBITED | 28th Jan to 13th Mar 1994

"The Edge of all the Land: Richard Eurich 1903-1992" - Southampton City Art Gallery, Southampton    (toured to Manchester, Bradford, Ipswich)

Cat 77

IN COLLECTION | 2003

artist’s estate

EXHIBITED | 15th Mar to 26th Apr 2003

"Richard Eurich (1903-1992) Visionary Artist" - Millais Gallery, Southampton Institute (now Solent University), toured to Russell-Cotes Art Gallery, Bournemouth and The Fine Art Society, London

Cat 53*, illustrated, and cover illustration (detail)

ACQUIRED | 2003

bought by private collector

IN COLLECTION | 2016

Private Collection, UK

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Provenance:

  • IN COLLECTION - 2003 - artist’s estate
  • ACQUIRED - 2003 - bought by private collector
  • IN COLLECTION - 2016 - Private Collection, UK

Exhibitions:

  • 16th May to 16th Aug 1981 - "Summer Exhibition 1981", Royal Academy of Arts, London
    Cat 86
  • 4th to 18th Sep 1982 - "Beaches, Breezes and Boats – an Exhibition of Paintings by Richard Eurich R.A.", Salisbury Divisional Library, Wiltshire
    Cat 18
  • 14th Mar to 8th Apr 1983 - "Eurich at 80, Early Drawings and Recent Paintings", The Fine Art Society, London    (toured to The Manor House Museum and Gallery, Ilkley, Yorkshire)
    Cat 59
  • September 1984 - "Paintings by Richard Eurich", Ash Barn Gallery, Petersfield
    Cat 5
  • 14th Oct to 8th Nov 1991 - "Richard Eurich: Paintings Since the War", The Fine Art Society, London
    Cat 36, illustrated
  • 6th Jun to 15th Aug 1993 - "Summer Exhibition 1993", Royal Academy of Arts, London
    Cat 1313
  • 28th Jan to 13th Mar 1994 - "The Edge of all the Land: Richard Eurich 1903-1992", Southampton City Art Gallery, Southampton    (toured to Manchester, Bradford, Ipswich)
    Cat 77
  • 15th Mar to 26th Apr 2003 - "Richard Eurich (1903-1992) Visionary Artist", Millais Gallery, Southampton Institute (now Solent University), toured to Russell-Cotes Art Gallery, Bournemouth and The Fine Art Society, London
    Cat 53*, illustrated, and cover illustration (detail)

Notes:

  • None recorded.

Related  

Richard's use of clowns by the sea goes back . . .

Dancing Men (1948)
Richard's use of clowns by the sea goes back . . .
Image © Richard Eurich Paintings

 

. . . and back.

Clowns by the Sea (c1929)
. . . and back.

 

Whitby's west pier lighthouse pops up again with a clown.

Pierrot and Fisherman (1975)
Whitby's west pier lighthouse pops up again with a clown.

 

Whitby style lighthouse again. Zoom in and you will find a clown in white.

Coast Scene with Rainbow (1952-53)
Whitby style lighthouse again. Zoom in and you will find a clown in white.
Image © Crown Copyright, UK

 

'A Moment of Sadness' references the two lighthouses at the entrance to Whitby harbour. Other works use them too.

Fog Bank, Whitby (1934)
'A Moment of Sadness' references the two lighthouses at the entrance to Whitby harbour. Other works use them too.
Image © Richard Eurich Paintings

 

Note how the triangles of the brown sails are picked up in 'A Moment of Sadness'.

The Whitby Lights (1962)
Note how the triangles of the brown sails are picked up in 'A Moment of Sadness'.
Image © 2008 Christie's Images Limited

 

The Queen of the Sea,1911 painted in 1954. Richard brings to life the memory of that holiday in Whitby with hallucinatory clarity

Queen of the Sea, 1911 (1954)
The Queen of the Sea,1911 painted in 1954. Richard brings to life the memory of that holiday in Whitby with hallucinatory clarity
Image © Royal Academy of Arts

 

Whitby, North Yorkshire, to Represent Sheffield on Holiday (1960-61)

Image © Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

 

Whitby, Yorkshire (1934)

Does this page contain inaccurate or missing information that you could help us with, or do you simply want to leave a comment?

References:

  • “Richard Eurich (1903-1992) Visionary Artist” (Edward Chaney and Christine Clearkin (contributions by James Hyman, David McCann and Peyton Skipwith), pub. 2003: Paul Holberton Publishing, ISBN 1903470110) [Cat 53*, illustrated (detail on cover and pg 82)]
  • Richard Eurich OBE RA - Paintings Since the War [1991] (The Fine Art Society) [Cat 36, illustrated]