Description
It’s Now Christmas Day by Helen Bradley
An incredibly rare museum quality original oil painting by artist Helen Bradley, MBE. Depicting a Christmas scene as the animals gather in Oldham, one of her most collectible compositions, new to market from a distinguished private collection. As well as being signed by the artist, this wonderful painting also includes a charming write up to the reverse by Bradley herself…
‘On Christmas Eve all the animals living around Lees and Belle Vue asked God to come down from his shed up Springhead where he was then living. They wanted to tell him all their troubles’.
‘Here they are, all the animals I have knowns and loved, airing their views about humans, but our Tom, being keen on music, taught them all to sing, and here he is standing on his box waiting for Leesfield Church to chime midnight.. “Then” he said, “you must be ready with your mouths open and we’ll all sing, Christians awake salute this happy morn” for it’s now Christmas Day and the year was 1906’.
The animals from left to right are Bew the Rome Mill horse,next to him is Our Fanny, behind is Bonny Warfe (milk horse) Black pony is Prince, (Dr Curry pony) standing next to Jimmy Warfe’s pig is Biddy Murphys Tiger. Our Tom (cat) is conducting, Tiger plays the cello, Twigg plays the violin and Cuckoo, Martha and Tim are the young singers. The sheep, cows, donkey and grey horse belong to Warfe’s farm. The deer came across from Lyme Park and cow, what a time they had and there isn’t a human in sight, they’re all fast asleep.
Leesfield Church, Oldham
Provenance: W H Patterson, Albermarle Street, London. Private Collection, Cheshire
