Leaping smallmouth bass painting
This painting, signed by British artist W.H. Wilkinson, is a favorite of mine ever since I found it in a neighborhood yard sale. I did some research, consulted with an expert on paintings from a nationally known auction house and found out that Wilkinson lived from 1856 to 1934. I have located 3 paintings of pastoral scenes (sheep in the meadow, that sort of thing) that sold at auction in Britain, and I found a photograph of a self-portrait Wilkinson painted late in life. That painting is part of a British museum collection. My theory, supported by several people with expertise in paintings like this, is that the leaping fish painting was created as artwork for the cover of a sporting magazine, or possibly an inside illustration. I am very interested in finding an original copy of such a magazine, if it exits, so I thought I would use the power of the Internet to put my Wilkinson painting in front of as many eyeballs as possible, in the hope that someone will see it and says, "Hey, I've seen that leaping smallmouth before!"
If this image, or the additional photo of the signature of W.H. Wilkinson that appears in the lower left-hand corner of the painting, strikes a bell, please e-mail me at [email protected]. I would be most grateful and would be happy to share any new information with viewers of this website.
If this image, or the additional photo of the signature of W.H. Wilkinson that appears in the lower left-hand corner of the painting, strikes a bell, please e-mail me at [email protected]. I would be most grateful and would be happy to share any new information with viewers of this website.
The artist's signature
This is a closeup photo of the signature of W.H. Wilkinson, who painted the leaping bass in the painting, above. If you recognize this artist, please send me an e-mail and share what you know. And if you have or have seen this image used on the cover or inside an old sporting or nature magazine, I'd be most grateful to learn about that, too!