David Sawyer RBA (born 1961) - St Nicholas Church, Tooting, London

Original London Oil Painting

David Sawyer RBA (born 1961) - Oil on Board
“St Nicholas Church, Tooting, London”

An atmospheric winter view of St Nicholas Church in Tooting, London, painted by David Sawyer in 1996.

Key Details

Artist: David Sawyer RBA (born 1961)
Title: St Nicholas Church, Tooting, London
Date: 1996
Medium: Oil on board
Signature: Unsigned on the painted surface
Attribution: Titled, located and dated by the artist on the reverse
Artwork Size: 50 × 23.5 cm (19.7 × 9.3 in)
Framed Size: 61 × 36 cm (24 × 14.2 in)
Frame: Decorative gilt and painted moulded frame
Condition: Very good overall condition, both the artwork and frame
Provenance: Artist’s business card attached to the reverse; artist’s name also appears inside the frame

Description

The tall church tower rises above the snow-covered roofs and churchyard, creating a strong vertical composition.

Sawyer contrasts the dark masonry and winter trees with areas of freshly fallen snow, while the softly muted sky gives the scene a quiet, subdued atmosphere. The unusually tall format is particularly well suited to the architecture, allowing the tower to dominate the composition while retaining the surrounding church buildings, gravestones and snow-covered foreground.

Although unsigned on the painted surface, the work is titled, located and dated by the artist on the reverse. David Sawyer’s business card is attached to the backing board, and his name also appears inside the frame.

The artwork and frame are both in very good overall condition and the painting is ready to hang.

About the Artist

David Sawyer RBA was born in London in 1961 and grew up in Margate, Kent. He studied Fine Art at Canterbury College of Art and has worked professionally since graduating in the early 1980s, including an early period as a scene painter.

Sawyer describes himself as a modern British Impressionist working within the tradition of landscape painting. His work is particularly associated with architecture, historic buildings and the changing effects of light and weather. His subjects range from London streets and churches to Oxford, Venice, Mediterranean towns and the British landscape.

He was elected to the Royal Society of British Artists in 2004 and has exhibited extensively through British art societies and established commercial galleries. His work has also included significant commissions, among them paintings for the State Rooms aboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2.

Provenance and Notes

The reverse is inscribed in the artist’s hand: St Nicholas Church, Tooting, London, 1996.

An original David Sawyer business card is attached to the backing board, giving his former address at 10 Corsehill Street, Streatham, London. The artist’s surname also appears on the inner frame beneath the backing board. These markings provide a clear documentary connection between the painting, its subject, date and artist.