Lot 863

Antique, Fine Art and Collectables auction to be held on Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th of November 2026

William Mouncey (Scottish/British, 1852-1901), "The Watermill", oil on board, signed and dated '96 recto, titled The Fine Art Society label verso, 40cm x 30cm, within a stained wood frame. Provenance: The Fine Art Society, April 1980, stock no. 7734. Note: William Mouncey (1852-1901) was a Scottish landscape painter born in Kirkcudbright, where he spent most of his life. Initially following his father into the house-painting and decorating trade, Mouncey pursued his ambition to become a professional artist, studying briefly in Edinburgh before largely teaching himself. His paintings drew inspiration from the surrounding Galloway countryside, particularly the burns, woodland and riverbanks around Kirkcudbright. Mouncey first exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy in 1881 and subsequently showed regularly there and at the Royal Glasgow Institute, as well as exhibiting in London and Dresden. Encouraged early in his career by fellow Kirkcudbright artist E. A. Hornel, whose eldest sister Margaret he married in 1874, Mouncey eventually established his own house and studio, Woodlea, overlooking the town. He died in 1901, aged 49, having established a lasting reputation as a painter of the Scottish landscape.