Historical information

John Webster Lawson was born in Sheffield, England in 1855. HE travelled Europe as a young man where he studies art in Paris under Ferdinand Cormon. He arrived in Australia in 1895. His first job in the arts was designing theatre sets for James Cassius Williamson whose theatrical management company was described in its heyday as the largest theatrical firm in the world.
Lawson went on to open an art school in Nhill where one of his pupils was Percy Leason.
Lawson died in Sale in 1941.

Physical description

Oil painting in a double frame. The inner frame is canvas with a gold timber beveled inner edge and the outer frame is timber. The scene depicts a coastal scene. A beach in the foreground with three cows grazing on the grass to the left. A rickety fence can be seen behind the cows. The cliffs reach out to the horizon and a lighthouse can be seen in the distance at the top of the cliffs. There are two sailing boats on the sea and seagulls flying above the water. The sky is blue with a few clouds.

Inscriptions & markings

Signed and dated bottom left