Agnes Augusta Talboys RWA Six Persian Cats and Kittens British Oil on Canvas

Agnes Augusta Talboys RWA Six Persian Cats and Kittens British Oil on Canvas

Charming Early 20th Century British Cat Painting with Floral Tea Service, Circa 1910–1920

Highlights

• Original early 20th-century British oil on canvas
• By Agnes Augusta Talboys RWA
• Circa 1910–1920
• Six long-haired Persian cats and kittens
• Charming tea-table narrative with floral porcelain
• Signed “A. Augusta Talboys. R.W.A.” lower left
• Further signed or inscribed with the artist’s name and RWA designation verso
• Winsor & Newton, London prepared-canvas stamp verso
• Apparently original unlined canvas
• Canvas 46.5 cm high x 73 cm wide
• Framed 64 cm high x 89.5 cm wide x 4 cm deep
• Recently fitted Larson Juhl LJS Prague decorative gilt wood frame
• Documented Clevedon Salerooms provenance
• Supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution

Introduction

An engaging early 20th-century British animal painting by Agnes Augusta Talboys RWA, bringing together six expressive Persian cats and kittens within an imaginative domestic tableau.

The broad composition centres upon an elegant tea service spread across a green-covered table. Rather than presenting the animals as formal studies, Talboys gives each cat an individual role within the scene, creating an affectionate narrative of curiosity and mischief.

Composition

At the left, two grey kittens tumble together inside a wicker basket while a third kitten turns outward towards the viewer.

Across the centre, a white Persian reclines beside the displaced cup and saucer, with another white cat sitting upright immediately behind. At the opposite end of the table, a grey Persian peers inquisitively from behind the substantial floral teapot.

Talboys uses the arrangement of alternating grey and white coats to carry the eye across the canvas, while the dark background and saturated green table covering give the animals considerable visual prominence.

Colour & Technique

Soft silvery greys and creamy whites dominate the feline forms.

Talboys builds the long fur through layered strokes and tonal modulation rather than hard outlines, creating an effective impression of softness and volume.

The porcelain is treated more precisely. Its blue, pink and warm floral decoration provides delicate points of colour against the stronger green of the tablecloth.

This contrast between softly handled fur and more sharply defined domestic objects contributes substantially to the painting’s visual character.

Agnes Augusta Talboys RWA

Agnes Augusta Talboys established a particular reputation for paintings of cats and kittens, including Persian and other long-haired breeds.

Her recorded oeuvre includes both individual feline studies and elaborate group compositions in which cats interact with baskets, flowers, textiles and decorative household objects.

Comparable works documented by major auction houses demonstrate Talboys’s repeated use of substantial horizontal canvases for these more ambitious feline compositions.

Signature & Comparative Evidence

Signed lower left:

A. Augusta Talboys. R.W.A.

The reverse additionally bears the artist’s name and RWA designation.

This is significant because comparable paintings documented by Christie’s exhibit the same recto-and-verso practice.

A Restful Moment, measuring approximately 49.5 x 74.9 cm, and Kittens, Roses and an Oriental Rug on a Table, approximately 43.2 x 70.4 cm, provide particularly useful comparisons with the present 46.5 x 73 cm canvas.

Date

Circa 1910–1920.

The painting itself is undated. The date range represents a considered catalogue assessment based upon style, materials and comparison with documented Talboys works rather than a recorded year of execution.

Title

The exact composition has subsequently been published under the descriptive title Persian Cats with Teacups.

Clevedon Salerooms previously catalogued the painting as Persian cats with teapot, cup and saucer.

No evidence presently identified establishes an original artist-given title.

Winsor & Newton Canvas

A partially visible Winsor & Newton, London prepared-canvas stamp survives verso.

It provides useful evidence concerning the professional artist’s canvas employed but is not relied upon independently to assign a precise date.

Provenance

Private collection

Clevedon Salerooms, Bristol, Interiors Sale, 9 January 2025, Lot 556, catalogued as Agnes Augusta Talboys RWA, Persian cats with teapot, cup and saucer

Acquired from the above sale by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®

Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®

Dimensions

Framed: 64 cm high x 89.5 cm wide x 4 cm deep

Canvas: 46.5 cm high x 73 cm wide

Frame

Recently fitted Larson Juhl LJS Prague moulded decorative gilt wood frame.

The frame has been selected to complement the historic character and colouring of the painting and is not represented as original to the work.

Condition Report

Fine used condition consistent with age.

The canvas appears to remain unlined. Age-related foxing, staining and discolouration are visible verso. Craquelure is present across areas of the painted surface.

There appear to be areas of historic touch-up or intervention, particularly within portions of the darker background.

The paint surface appears visually stable from the available examination. The recent frame displays minor handmade and handling imperfections.

No invasive conservation or scientific examination has been undertaken. Please review all photographs as part of the condition description.

Shipping

Worldwide shipping is available.

Owing to the historic framed presentation of the artwork, it will be professionally packaged using appropriate protective materials and dispatched fully insured.

International buyers are welcome. Please contact us for a destination-specific delivery quotation or to discuss any particular shipping requirements.

Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution

The artwork will be supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, recording the artwork’s catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated, exhibition history and details of the sale. This document accompanies the work as part of its ongoing ownership and provenance record.

Attribution and Research

The historical observations, provenance research, attribution analysis, dating and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. They are offered in good faith as informed scholarly assessments based upon the available physical evidence, historic inscriptions, comparative research, published reference material and our experience within the international fine art market.

These observations should be understood as professional opinions rather than definitive statements of fact or guarantees of authorship, attribution, date, origin, provenance or historical interpretation. As with all historic works of art, future documentary discoveries, technical examination, conservation analysis or advances in academic research may refine, expand or revise current interpretations.

Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®

Specialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art.

Every artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market. We are committed to offering collectors works of artistic and historical merit accompanied by transparent provenance research, detailed catalogue descriptions and professional, client-focused service.

Additional photographs and further information are available upon request.