OPIES' PALETTE

AN ANTIQUE ARTIST'S PALETTE, SIGNED TO BACK EDWARD OPIE, ST AGNES, CORNWALL 1839, ALSO DATED 1788 IN BLACK PAINT WITH CHEQUE SIGNED AMELIA OPIE FOR £8 ON THE BACK MESSRS MARSH, SIBBALD, TRACEY, PAUNTLEROY & SON

http://www.bespokeauctions.co.uk/Catalogues/current/page3.html

An intriguing item was sold at BESPOKE AUCTIONS yesterday.

It was an artist's palette, much used and much coved with paint, that had belonged to EDWARD OPIE (1810- 1894) and apparently to JOHN OPIE RA (1761- 1807).
(Thus the apostrophe in our heading is in the correct position)

Edward was the great- nephew of John Opie RA

Edward grew up in HARMONY COT  the same house as his famous great- uncle John. It is still there at Blowinghouse, Trevellas, near St Agnes in Cornwall. No doubt there were hopes in the family that the artistic talent would pass down the generations, so the great success of Edward would have been a cause for celebration. Specialising in portraiture, Edward Opie was in great demand.
By 1830 he was painting a portrait each week in Truro; and he spent time at Plymouth also. The maritime business of Plymouth Dock brought a constante flow of customers for his portraits.
London remained the ultimate goal for any artist and Edward was journeying up there to study and to seek more portrait commissions.
His great aunt was Amelia Opie, widow of artist John. She and John and lived in Berners Street, London, but after john's untimely death she moved back to her native Norwich. She did continue to travel and did spend time in London. She certainly met Edward Opie.

1839 saw a major milestone as in that year Edward exhibited at the Royal Academy for the first time. That is the date on the palette.
The palette was not new in 1839- it looks as though it may have been purchased in 1788 in which case it would first have belonged to John Opie.

If the palette had always been at Harmony Cot, it seems unlikely that Edward would have decided to write a date on it after owning it for a long time.
A more attractive explanation is that Amelia Opie had kept the palette back when she sold the contents of her husband's studio after his death. She decided to give the palette to Edward because he was carrying on the family tradition. This was in the year of his first Royal Academy success.

I was bidding for it but did not buy it. It would be interesting to know who owns it now, as there is potential for important research here