{"product_id":"john-simmons-oil-on-mahogany-board-tyneham-dorset-32x39cm-roi-exhibit-label","title":"John Simmons - Oil on Mahogany Board. Tyneham, Dorset 32x39cm ROI Exhibit label","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJohn Simmons - Oil on Mahogany Panel\u003cbr\u003e\n“Tyneham, Dorset”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExhibited Royal Institute of Oil Painters Landscape – Dorset’s Lost Village before it was requisitioned\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eKey Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArtist:\u003c\/strong\u003e John Simmons (British, 1871–1943)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTitle:\u003c\/strong\u003e “Tyneham, Dorset”\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMedium:\u003c\/strong\u003e Oil on mahogany panel\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSupport:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mahogany panel\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature:\u003c\/strong\u003e Signed lower right\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Image: 32 × 39 cm (12.6 × 15.4 in) Frame: Traditional stained wood frame\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Painting in good condition with minor surface wear consistent with age. Frame with light age-related scuffs; structurally sound and ready to hang.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Private collection. Original Royal Institute of Oil Painters exhibition label verso.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDescription\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA beautifully composed and atmospheric early 20th-century Dorset landscape depicting Tyneham — the now-famous “lost village” evacuated during the Second World War. This tranquil view of a cottage nestled among trees with still water in the foreground captures rural England before its wartime transformation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRichly painted in oil on mahogany panel, the work combines quiet restraint with confident naturalistic handling. Painted during Simmons’ exhibiting career prior to 1943, it records Tyneham as an inhabited rural community, adding notable historical resonance to its strong decorative appeal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTyneham, Dorset, was requisitioned by the War Office in 1943 for military training ahead of D-Day. Residents were displaced and never permitted to return. Today the village remains preserved within the Lulworth ranges and is widely known as Dorset’s “lost village.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the Artist\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJohn Simmons (1871–1943) was a British painter active in the interwar period. Before dedicating himself fully to art, he worked in the family theatrical costumier business, A. J. Simmons \u0026amp; Sons. After the firm’s sale in 1912, he pursued painting professionally.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBetween 1925 and 1940, Simmons exhibited at major British institutions including the Royal Academy, Royal Society of British Artists, Walker Art Gallery, and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI). The original ROI exhibition label on the reverse of this painting confirms its inclusion and records his address as “New Chilterns, Amersham Common,” placing him within the Chilterns artistic community during his exhibiting years. His landscapes are characterised by careful composition, tonal sensitivity, and an understated confidence rooted in traditional early 20th-century British landscape painting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eEstimated Date\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCirca 1925–1940 (painted during the artist’s documented exhibiting period prior to 1943).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eProvenance \u0026amp; Notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom a private collection. Retains its original Royal Institute of Oil Painters exhibition label verso inscribed “Tyneham Dorset” and giving the artist’s address as “New Chilterns, Amersham Common,” confirming its exhibition history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Crag Bank Art","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53551643394386,"sku":"CBA-176","price":445.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1078\/0904\/6866\/files\/IMG_7025.jpg?v=1780827756","url":"https:\/\/cragbankart.co.uk\/products\/john-simmons-oil-on-mahogany-board-tyneham-dorset-32x39cm-roi-exhibit-label","provider":"Crag Bank Art","version":"1.0","type":"link"}