Rouse (Chemist) of Wigmore Street Limited, London. Painted by John Vicat Cole, 1953

Description

Framed oil painting entitled ‘Rouse (Chemist) of Wigmore Street Ltd’. Painted by John Vicat Cole in 1953.

The painting captures in detail the exterior of Rouse’s pharmacy at 12 Wigmore Street, London, W1, showing shop window display, crammed with products for sale. Note the glass specie jars and the coloured carboys which for centuries had been used as the symbol for commercial pharmacies. The door of the pharmacy is open, with the interior of the shop partially shown.

The artist John Vicat Cole (British, 1903–1975) was a landscape painter who specialised in capturing old shop fronts. His work is a reminder of trades as they once were in the early to mid-1900s.

Fact

The artist John Vicat Cole (British, 1903–1975) trained at the Royal Academy and became a member of the Royal Society of British Artists.