British (1801-1868)

THE REVEREND JOHN LOUIS PETIT was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire in 1801 and was the son of John Hayes Petit and Harriet Astley of Dukinfield Lodge. His parents were French Huguenots who were originally from Caen. His schooling began at Eton and finished at Trinity College, Cambridge where he was a scholar. Petit was ordained in 1824 becoming the curate of Bradfield, near Manningtree. However, he soon retired from parochial duties and moved to Shifnal in Shropshire. He showed great talent for sketching in his early years and, with a delicate touch, his pen and pencil drawings were known for their exactness. By far his favourite subject was old churches and he traveled far and wide visiting various locations throughout the British Isles, France and the Holy Land. He sketched rapidly and always painted "plein air", finishing his drawings on the spot. He published 6 well-known books on Church and other Architecture, which include: "Remarks on Church Architecture" (1841); "Remarks on Architectural Character" (1846); Remarks on Wimborne Minster" (1847); Architecture of Tewkesbury Abbey (1848); Remarks of Southwell Minster (1848); and his Magnum Opus, "Architectural Studies in France" (1854). Reverend Petit's mature period began from 1840 and continued right up the year he died. A few years before his death, he moved to Lichfield where he lived with his sisters and was a member of the local Archaeological Institute continuing to produce papers on Architectural and Antiquarian subjects. His strokes are quite bold and many of his watercolours are heavily painted in a rich Terra Cotta coloration, which seems to suit the church architecture quite well. Each work is painted with great confidence; he seems to know exactly how he wants his painting to look!! Examples of his watercolours are in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Johnson Birthplace Museum in Litchfield. Petit is well recognized in the Bénézit and Mallalieu's "British Watercolour Artists" amongst other biographical publications.

Please note the sizes on these as all, save one, are around 11 x 15 inches!!

This is a very beautiful work and certainly the best of the 60 or so watercolours by Petit that I was fortunate enough to purchase.  This shows the village of Patcham, near Brighton in Sussex.  Pencil and Watercolour with scratching out on heavy paper sized 11 x 15 1/4 inches.  This was purchased indirectly from the Petit family and is inscribed on the reverse with the title and dated 17th September 1867.  Petit family inventory number 1945.  In excellent condition.  A really superior watercolour!! 

Price:  SOLD

This is a great watercolor of the Church of St. Mary's in the village of Sundridge, near Sevenoaks in Kent.  I have read that this is also referred to as the Church of St. Peter & St. Paul so will continue researching!!   Pencil and Watercolour with scratching out on heavy paper sized 11 x 15 1/4 inches.  This was purchased indirectly from the Petit family and is inscribed on the reverse with the title and dated 13th September 1867.  Petit family inventory number 1950.  In excellent condition.  A really superior watercolour!! 

Price:  SOLD

This is a lovely view of the village of Poynings just to the north of Brighton in Sussex.  The focal point is the Holy Trinity Church, built in the 14th century.  The cruciform church is right in the village which lies at the very foot of the Downs, close to Devil's Dyke.  Pencil and Watercolour with scratching out on heavy paper sized 11 x 15 1/4 inches.  This was purchased indirectly from the Petit family and is inscribed on the reverse with the title and dated 14th September 1859.  Petit family inventory number 1944.  In excellent condition.   A super panoramic watercolour!! 

Price:  $350.00

This is a beautiful view from the top of Westerham Hill in Kent which is just to the West of the village of Sundridge.  I'm not quite sure what we are seeing from the hill, but it is quite a nice, almost impressionistic scene.  Pencil and Watercolour with scratching out on heavy paper sized 11 x 15 1/4 inches.  This was purchased indirectly from the Petit family and is inscribed on the reverse with the title and dated 27th August 1867.  Petit family inventory number 1951.  In excellent condition.  Another beautiful panoramic watercolour!! 

Price:  $300.00

This is a great view of Ashford in Kent with the famous Church of St. Mary the Virgin in the background.  There has been a church on this site since the 11th century with the present church dating from the 13th century.  There are a few on-lookers over on the right near the River Stour (or a tributary of it) and a distant windmill on the far left.  Pencil and Watercolour with scratching out on heavy JWhatman Turkey Mill watermarked paper sized 10 1/2 x 15 inches.  This was purchased indirectly from the Petit family and is inscribed on the reverse with the title and dated June 27 1863 with the paper watermarked 1862.  Petit family inventory number 1969.  In fine condition with some juvenile pencil drawings on the reverse, some fraying along the upper edge, and light spotting in the sky.  A beautiful watercolour!! 

Price:  SOLD

This is a really colourful scene in what I call Reverend Petit's terra cotta period as his roofs and shaded areas are primarily that color!!  Very dramatic with heavy brushstrokes.  This fine piece shows the famous St. Margaret's Church in Rottingdean which is just to the East of Brighton along the coast.  The church dates to the 11th-12th centuries and is built of Flint and Caen Sandstone with the walls of the tower over 4 feet thick!!   Pencil and Watercolour with scratching out on heavy paper sized 11 x 15 1/8 inches.  This was purchased indirectly from the Petit family and is inscribed on the reverse with the title (originally Rotterdean) and dated 16th September 1867.  Petit family inventory number 1946.  In excellent condition.  A colourful and dramatic watercolour!! 

Price:  SOLD

 This is a nice pastoral scene showing a country lane through a gate and then onto the house.  This was painted near West Wickham just to the East of Croyden, Surrey.  Pencil and Watercolour with scratching out on heavy paper sized 10 3/4 x 14 3/4 inches.  This was purchased indirectly from the Petit family and is inscribed on the reverse with the title and dated September 22nd 1859.  Petit family inventory number 1953.  In excellent condition.  A great watercolour!! 

Price:  SOLD

This is a another nice pastoral scene showing a country house in the Edenbridge area of Kent just to the East of Tonbridge.  Pencil and Watercolour with scratching out on heavy paper sized 7 5/8 x 10 3/4 inches.  This was purchased indirectly from the Petit family and is inscribed on the reverse with the title and dated 28th June.  I believe this was painted circa 1863.  Petit family inventory number 1984.  In excellent condition.  A great watercolour!! 

Price:  SOLD