The Battle of the Boggarts (1948)
Photo: The Fine Art Society      
© The Fine Art Society

The Battle of the Boggarts

1948

Oil on canvas
64 x 76 cm

Private Collection, UK

More details...


Recto: Signed and dated lower left: R. Eurich 1948

Aka: The Battle of the Boggarts [Bradford, 1951]; Battle of the Beggars [Bridgeman Art Library]; The Battle of Scarecrows [RE diary]; Battle of Boggarts [Redfern, and Bradford (1979)]; The Battle of the Boggarts [Bradford, 1951]; Battle of the Beggars [Bridgeman Art Library]; The Battle of Scarecrows [RE diary]

Verso: Redfern Gallery sales label dated 2nd May 1949; Cartwright Memorial Hall, Bradford label dated 1951; Fine Art Society label dated April 1980;

Boggarts agricultural ambiguous animal barn battle blood cart chaos clothing conflict conveyor currugated steel dream dreamlike dress fantastical farm fence field gate hay hay barn haystack horror machinery maddness moon mysterious mystery nightmare pans plough ploughed pots roller rural scarecrow scythe steer straw surreal surrealist sword trees umbrellas war warfare weapon wheels wooden fence

RE Diary entries:

7th June 1948: "Stretched a few canvases including a 30x25 on which I started a grand subject suggested by Mavis and Caroline who are reading ‘Worzel Gummidge’ together – ‘The Battle of Scarecrows'."

2nd May 1949: Heard the cheering news that two of my three paintings at the RA were sold on Private View day. Marine Harvest to the Ferens Art Gallery for 100 gns. And 'The Battle of the Boggarts' to Captain Cunningham Reid for 150 gns.

REP

"Battle of the Boggarts" may have inspired the larger 1957 painting “Men of Straw” owned by Nottingham City Museums & Galleries.

Richard picks up the roller motif here that he first used in his 1936 work Cornish Landscape with Roller.

REP - PC

It is night time… when all the scary things happen! Perhaps that childhood fear never quite leaves us, and Dad has enjoyed revelling in these goings-on. Our Mother was reading Worzel Gummidge aloud which sparked the idea for this riot. The windows of the farm cottage in the background are eyes wide with horror but there is huge glee here in the violence and sheer mess! The hay-loader though full of lethal spikes looks somewhat like a party game. The whole picture is designed to be frightening and yet fun at the same time. [PB]

REP-PB

A "boggart" is variously described as a shapeshifter fairy or ogre of households or fields that takes the form of the viewer's worst fear.

Provenance

EXHIBITED | 8th Mar to 2nd Apr 1949

"Richard Eurich, Walter Goetz, Frances Richards" - Redfern Gallery, London

Cat 8

EXHIBITED | 30th Apr to 7th Aug 1949

"Summer Exhibition 1949" - Royal Academy of Arts, London

Cat 128

ACQUIRED | May 1949

purchased by Captain A S Cunningham-Reid from the Royal Academy via the Redfern Gallery for 150gns

EXHIBITED | 1st Jun to 26th Aug 1951

"RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION OF OIL PAINTINGS by RICHARD EURICH, A.R.A." - City of Bradford Art Gallery, Cartwright Hall, Bradford

Cat 56; lent by Captain A S Cunningham-Reid

AUCTIONED | 16th Nov 1977

"[title unknown]", Sotheby’s, London

lot 88

IN COLLECTION | [unknown date]

Guy Neville

EXHIBITED | 25th Nov 1979 to 20th Jan 1980

"Richard Eurich, RA - A Retrospective Exhibition" - Cartwright Hall Gallery, Bradford District Museums and Galleries, Bradford    (toured Glasgow, London, Southampton)

Cat 38; loaned by Guy Neville

AUCTIONED | 4th Mar 1983

"[title unknown]" - Christie's, London

lot 267, illustrated

IN COLLECTION | [unknown date]

unknown private collection

AUCTIONED | 6th Jun 1995

"Modern British & Irish Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture", Phillips, London

lot 48, illustrated

ACQUIRED | June 1995

bought at Phillip's auction by The Fine Art Society

ACQUIRED | September 1995

bought by private collector from The Fine Art Society

IN COLLECTION | 2019

Private Collection, UK

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Provenance:

  • ACQUIRED - May 1949 - purchased by Captain A S Cunningham-Reid from the Royal Academy via the Redfern Gallery for 150gns
  • AUCTIONED - 16th Nov 1977 - "[title unknown]", Sotheby’s, London
    lot 88
  • IN COLLECTION - [unknown date] - Guy Neville
  • AUCTIONED - 4th Mar 1983 - "[title unknown]", Christie's, London
    lot 267, illustrated
  • IN COLLECTION - [unknown date] - unknown private collection
  • AUCTIONED - 6th Jun 1995 - "Modern British & Irish Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture", Phillips, London
    lot 48, illustrated
  • ACQUIRED - June 1995 - bought at Phillip's auction by The Fine Art Society
  • ACQUIRED - September 1995 - bought by private collector from The Fine Art Society
  • IN COLLECTION - 2019 - Private Collection, UK

Exhibitions:

  • 8th Mar to 2nd Apr 1949 - "Richard Eurich, Walter Goetz, Frances Richards", Redfern Gallery, London
    Cat 8
  • 30th Apr to 7th Aug 1949 - "Summer Exhibition 1949", Royal Academy of Arts, London
    Cat 128
  • 1st Jun to 26th Aug 1951 - "RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION OF OIL PAINTINGS by RICHARD EURICH, A.R.A.", City of Bradford Art Gallery, Cartwright Hall, Bradford
    Cat 56; lent by Captain A S Cunningham-Reid
  • 25th Nov 1979 to 20th Jan 1980 - "Richard Eurich, RA - A Retrospective Exhibition", Cartwright Hall Gallery, Bradford District Museums and Galleries, Bradford    (toured Glasgow, London, Southampton)
    Cat 38; loaned by Guy Neville

Notes:

  • None recorded.

Related  

Men of Straw (1957)

Image © Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery / Richard Eurich Paintings

 

The Guy (1948)

Image © Richard Eurich Paintings

 

The Guy (1958)

Image © Southwark Council, South London Gallery Collection

 

The Last of the Guy (1983)

Image © Richard Eurich Paintings

 

Mischief Night (1975)

Image © The Hepworth Wakefield

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

References:

  • Bridgeman Images [Art and media image library] [view image]
  • RA Illustrated [1949, p28]
  • Portrait of the Artist, Richard Eurich (Lambeth, Andrew, The Artists and Illustrators Magazine, December 1989) [p 26]
  • Art News and Review [March 1949]