" Bobby On The Beat " at Bonham's Auction

Monday, 12 June 2006 11:14

London - One of the most arresting pictures to go under the hammer at Bonhams’ New Bond Street salerooms on 14 June 2006 has got to be the Portrait of Constable Horace Hood.  An ordinary “Bobby on the beat” in the London suburb of Notting Hill Gate, Hood was painted by Arthur John Trevor Briscoe in 1933 and his portrait is expected to fetch £15,000-20,000 in the Sale of 19th Century Paintings.

The British artist Arthur Briscoe (1873-1943) normally painted maritime scenes rather than people and Bonhams’ Director of 19th Century Paintings, Alistair Laird, says he has never seen anything like this picture at auction before.  He comments: “In all the 24 years I have worked in the auction world, I cannot remember seeing a painting of a policeman before; it is an extremely rare subject.“

Constable Hood was attached to the Notting Hill police station at Ladbroke Grove when Briscoe spotted him.  He had noticed that the Royal Academy often exhibited works of art featuring other public service members but never a policeman, so charged himself with righting the situation.  On 7 April 1933, Briscoe told the Evening Standard: “I have noticed that at the Academy firemen, sailors and soldiers, dancers, cowboys and all the rest have been painted - but never a London policeman.

”I looked around in the London streets for the policeman who seemed to my mind to be symbolic of all the qualities which make up our 'Bobby', and I found such a man on duty in Notting Hill.... It will just be the picture of a policeman standing at the edge of the pavement, his kindly eye on all the world.”

The signed and dated oil on canvas, measuring 101.6 x 76.2 cm. (40 x 30 in.), will be sold on behalf of the policeman’s family, who has a letter from Hood to his Inspector, dated 19 March 1933, requesting permission from the Commissioner of Police to sit for this portrait and that he would be 'quite willing to attend the studio of Mr. Briscoe in my own time should the concession be granted.'

He served in the army for nine months from 20 May 1918 to 17 January 1919, it is believed in the Coldstream Guards.  As a police officer would have been a reserved occupation during World War One, it is probable that he was selected to play a part in the post-war occupation of Germany at the end of hostilities.  It has been suggested that the unusual three-one-three conformation of the buttons on his uniform is the same as the buttons on the jackets of the soldiers of the Coldstream Guards and P.C. Hood was allowed to carry this over on to his police uniform when he returned to work for the Met.

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques.  The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK.  In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America and in August 2003. 

Visit : www.bonhams.com