A wonderful painting of figures sat outside a village inn by John Holland Senior. A wagon is shown delivering supplies as another cart drives off towards a windmill in the distance. In the foreground two people cut a log in half whilst their family looks on. The Malt Shovel Inn was most likely the one at Upper Lambourn in Berkshire. Over 500 years old, it was located on Malt Shovel Lane, and was originally a bakery, becoming an inn sometime during the mid 1700’s. It remained as a pub until its closure in 2016. The windmill in the distance was situated outside Lambourn on the road to Baydon. It was built in 1771 but was demolished around 1887 and is now the site of a farm.

John Holland Senior was a painter of landscapes and coastal scenes who was born in Nottingham around 1830. He was the son of a painter and brother to Samuel Holland also a painter and sign writer. He was also uncle to his namesake John Holland (1857-1920) whom he taught to work in charcoal and Samuel S. Holland, both of whom were artists.

By 1861, he had become a full time artist exhibiting at Suffolk Street from around this time until 1879, at the British Institution between 1865-1866 as well as exhibiting locally in Nottingham. He never married and lived for many years with his father, brother and his family at Vernon Street, Nottingham. Around 1867, he moved to Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire where he exhibited locally. He would also often travel around the British countryside and coast to paint.

He spent a few years in West Yorkshire but by 1871 had moved back to live with his family in Nottingham. However, he spent his final years living at Trebray Lodge, Tintagel, Cornwall where he died on 7 February 1886.

A number of his works are held by the Buxton Museum, Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council, Nottingham Art Gallery and the Williamson Art Gallery.

© Benton Fine Art