LOUISE INGRAM RAYNER (1832-1924)

Watercolour on paper

Signed

30.00 inch wide   21.00 inch high

76.20 cm wide  53.34 cm high

40.00inch framed width   31.00inch framed height

101.60 cm framed width  78.74 cm framed height

Louise Rayner was born in Matlock Bath in Derbyshire on 21 June 1832 to Samuel Rayner and his wife Ann. Samuel Rayner was a watercolour artist of some repute who specialised in architectural and historic subjects. Louise had four sisters and one brother, all of whom became artists. The family lived in Matlock, Bath and Derby from 1828 until they moved to London in 1842. At the age of fifteen Louise began to study painting seriously, at first with her father and later under guidance from artist friends.

Rayner is recognised for her depictions of cities and ruins as well as stately homes and their surroundings. She often filled her most finished works with figures going about their daily tasks, including street sellers and purchasers. Louise travelled extensively throughout Britain during the 1870s and 1880s, and also visited northern France. Her watercolours include scenes of Edinburgh, Shrewsbury, Gloucester, York, London, Coventry, Windsor and Salisbury.

Louise is first recorded as being in Chester in 1869, by which point she had reached her mature style. Her paintings from this period are very detailed and highly picturesque, capturing the "olde worlde" character of Chester and other cities.

Virtually all of the buildings in this painting have been either rebuilt or extensively remodelled since Rainer painted this view, yet the cross still retains much of the atmosphere conveyed in this picture. This painting shows the cross at Chester prior to the redevelopments of 1888 – 1893 by Thomas Meakin Lockwood for 1st Duke of Westminster.

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