Mysterious Girl...

Do you remember this painting? Was it also hanging in just about all your friends homes back in the 70's when you were a kid? Well I have done a bit of digging on this series of paintings/prints that remind me of way back then..and this is what I found..

You may not know her name or where she came from, but chances are you’ll know her face. “Tina” the mysterious and exotic painting by the equally mysterious J.H Lynch has graced our walls since her birth in the early Sixties. Part of  the world of mass market prints sold in outlets like Boots and Woolworth’s, Tina and the rest of Lynch’s overture of sultry babes were purchased in their thousands, becoming a household staple for the rest of the Sixties and Seventies. Amy Rosa reports.

In the last 20 years vintage ‘mass market art’ has emerged as key decoration for any vintage-inspired home with the choice ranging from green ladies to crying boys and the ever impending presence of  sad-eyed Spanish children baring down from many a junk shop wall and flea market stall. The right print, by the right artist, can often command prices of £100+, so it can prove expensive to find the perfect painting to adorn your walls.
Wide-eyed children might not be your cup of tea nor the supposedly cursed crying boy paintings (urban legend has it that unless you have both the crying boy and crying girl on your walls, your house will burn down). Tretchikoff and his ladies in hues of green and blue can prove pricey, ranging from £50 to well over £100. So if you want the sex appeal of a green lady and bags of kitsch chic without such a hefty price tag, J.H Lynch and his Tina could be perfect for you.
Little is known about British artist Joseph Henry Lynch (b. 1911) despite painting an image that has been part of the British psyche for the last 45 years. He died aged 78 in 1989 having destroyed many of his original paintings and donating what little was left to charity. It seems impossible to find any information about Lynch’s activities before the Sixties.

It’s known that Tina was painted in 1961, and three years later in 1964 she would go on sale in Boots in the UK. An instant hit, Tina has appeared in Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 cult classic A Clockwork Orangeand graced the cover of Edwyn Collin’s number four hit single “A Girl Like You” (1994).

Following Tina’s success Lynch produced more prints, all in the same style of a dusky maiden, often half dressed and surrounded by dark, lush greenery or the proverbial Mediterranean villa. The most well known include Nymph, Woodland Goddess and Lisa. It’s rumoured that the 1955 winner of “Most Beautiful Teenager in Great Britain”, Alexandra Moyens, was the model for Tina and many more of Lynch’s paintings. The painting “Autumn Leaves” bears an uncanny resemblance to Sixties model Jean Shrimpton.
So if you think a lovely Lynch lady is for you it’s worth browsing your local car boot sale, flea market and even eBay. You really shouldn’t expect to pay more than £40/£50 for the likes of Tina and other well known Sixties prints. Tina can be found with the original guilt frame, under glass or the more common cream frame. The glass version seems to be more prone to decolourisation and fading, but when in good condition becomes highly desirable amongst fans and collectors alike.
Best tip I can give is shop around, I’ve known “Tinas” to be had for as little as £1 at boot sales.

From Queens of Vintage -  http://queensofvintage.com/mysterious-girl-tina-and-the-art-of-j-h-lynch

J H Lynch -  www.jhlynch.org

Landscape on a teapot

This is my 'English Ironstone Tableware' teapot which I picked up at a secondhand store. It's a real tough ceramic thus I use the pot more frequently than any of my other teapots of finer bone china.

What intriqued me the most was the picture on the sides which is a dipiction of Scotney Castle in Kent, so I had a Google to see what the actual Scotney Castle looks like, and this is what I found...

From The Heritage Trail -

The building of Scotney Castle is believed to have commenced c1378, and is attributed to Roger Ashburnham. Although its appearance is that of a regular fortress, roughly rectangular in shape (actually rhombus, its northern perimeter being slightly longer than the others) with circular towers at each corner, it was predominantly designed as a well fortified house. Its apparent strength was a sign of the tensions existing at that time between France and England - the French having sacked various Kent and Sussex coastal towns in 1377.

No licence to crenellate has been found for Scotney Castle, although it is possible that this formality may have been dispensed with in an emergency situation. The only substantial remains of the original Scotney Castle is the circular tower in the southern corner, and the four piers of the Gatehouse entrance.

It is debatable as to whether Scotney Castle was actually ever completed. Evidence found in the Will of a member of the Darell family, who died in 1558, gives precise information of the accommodation arrangements, and suggests that at that time only the south tower survived. There is no documented evidence to suggest that Scotney Castle had ever sustained any serious damage or demolition, but an arched entrance to the western tower still exists, which implies that this must have been completed to some degree.

The south wing adjoining the tower was rebuilt in 1580 in the Elizabethan style, part stone, part brick with projecting timber-framed, upper-storey leaded lights. This building also contains a fine wooden staircase and several well concealed priest holes, which were incorporated by the then owner, Thomas Darell, who was a Catholic. From 1591-1598 Scotney Castle was the secret centre of activities of a famous Jesuit, Father Richard Blount. His location was eventually betrayed to the authorities who raided Scotney Castle on two occasions in an attempt to capture him. The first attempt took a week and was only concluded when Blount's companion gave himself up. On the second occasion it took a further ten days, but again they failed to locate Blount, although it may have been successful had foul weather not interrupted the search. This gave Blount an opportunity to escape over a rear wall and into the moat.

In 1630 the east range was rebuilt in the style of Inigo Jones, and was a substantial three-storied structure dwarfing the remaining Elizabethan and medieval survivals. The ruins of this can still be seen in part today. In 1837, under the ownership of the Hussey family, the first stones of a new manor house were laid. This was completed in 1843, leaving the old estate to be incorporated as a romantic feature of the gardens. Although the Elizabethan wing and tower remained as a dwelling for the Bailiff until 1905, the eastern range was carefully dismantled leaving only the most interesting features.

Scotney Castle has always been a firm favourite of ours. Apart from the obvious architectural and historical interest, it represents a most romantic and picturesque image of a bygone era. Words really do not do justice to Scotney Castle, it is a site that you have to see, breathe and feel for yourself.

What a beautiful place, and somewhere I really think I should visit..!