A narrative interior genre painting in oil on board by the British artist Margaret Dovaston (1884–1954). The composition, titled Tall Story, depicts a group of men in 19th-century? attire gathered within a wood-panelled tavern or manor room. A central figure in a grey coat stands by a large fireplace, regaling a seated audience that includes a man in an orange hunting jacket and another in a blue coat. To the right, two men are positioned at a table preparing fresh trout, accompanied by wicker creels and fishing tackle. The work is executed in a tight, illustrative academic style with significant attention to anecdotal detail and character expression. The painting is signed M Dovaston in the lower right corner. The reverse features a brown paper backing with the handwritten inscription ‘TALL STORY’ DOVASTON in black ink. The frame and backing are further marked with two circular black ink stamps featuring a central monogram of the letters M, L, and W, surrounded by the text MADE IN ENGLAND. Faint pencil notations at the top of the frame include the number 1906 and a stock number. The work is housed in a heavily ornate rococo style frame with a gilt metal effect finish over moulded plaster.
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