Thomas Bush Hardy and the fascination of Venice with 19th Century artists

Whilst watching some recent auctions I was stunned to see a small Thomas Bush hardy (1842-1897) watercolour of the Doge's Palace in Venice sell for over a thousand pounds. The reason I was so stunned was because it was small (only 12 x17cm) and had a guide price of £100-200. I think the guide price was quite low but compared to other paintings by Bush Hardy probably about right.

The more I have looked into this particular maritime artist, the more I have seen a particular trend. Bush Hardy watercolours that are in good condition and of the sea sell well, however, Bush Hardy watercolours of Venice, sell very well. Many artists tried to imitate his techniques, which often included scratching out to enhance the waves for example, but after seeing a few authentic Bush Hardy paintings it is quite easy to tell which ones are by him. His Venetian scenes are quite captivating and use bright and vibrant colours making the full use of the light techniques Bush Hardy is famous for. The Venetian scenes also have a strong following in the art world and are highly sought after often selling at Christie's or Sotheby's. Below are a few examples (figures 1-5) recently sold through auction houses in the UK or are in private collections.

Figures 1-5. Thomas Bush Hardy Ventian watercolours from recent auctions.

Each painting follows on from the other showing a calm and vibrant city. The colours on the boats in the lagoon are spectacular and the gondolas for the average 19th Century Victorian are extremely exotic. They are the exact opposite to his typical paintings of the French, Dutch and British coasts as shown in figure 6. The dramatic waves are what I primarily knew him for and the reason many people collect him. However, the sheer beauty of his Venetian scenes draw the viewer in and if I had the choice between the two I would probably go for a painting of the Doge's Palace to go in my living room. This is not because I think the techniques used in his Venetian scenes are harder, probably far from it. They do however stand out and would be a worthy addition to any collection. I shall certainly keep a look out for any in future auctions and I would advise anyone reading this blog to also do this.

Figure 6. Thomas Bush Hardy 'Leaving port, Calais', watercolour recently sold at Embank's Auction House.

Lastly, doing some further research on Venice, paintings by maritime artists of this period fetched far higher prices when their paintings were of the lagoon and its stunning architecture. For example, JMW Turner is famous for his scenes of Venice. Clarkson Stanfield also travelled here on a few occasions including for the Heath's Picturesque Annual, and his Venetian scenes still make a premium at auction houses. His son George Clarkson Stanfield (1828-78) is mainly remembered for his Italian paintings and his painting of the Grand Canal (figure 7) is by far his most famous. This raises numerous questions about why Venice is such a sought after theme for paintings of this period? What drew artists to Venice? Why do they still fetch such high prices compared to other paintings by the same artist? I will return to this topic and look at paintings by Turner, Stanfield and Augustus Wall Callcott trying to answer these questions and any others that arise. In meantime enjoy the paintings I have included in this blog and if you have any favourite paintings of Venice by artists of around the 19th Century please leave a comment and I can look at these in future posts too!

Figure 7. George Clarkson Stanfield, 'The Grand Canal, Venice', oil-on-canvas. Private collection.

Kernow-Maritime-Fine-Art Ebay shop for renowned 19th Century Marine Artists

Over the past year I have started to collect Maritime Art from various places (including auction houses) and have opened up an Ebay shop to display what I have available.

The weblink is:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/kernow-maritime-fine-art?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2754

It has been a very interesting learning curve for me as I decided very early on to focus on well known and respected artists that command good prices and are likely to become more and more collectable over time. I have bought paintings that have been poorly framed and reframed them as well as adding new borders when these help the painting. The idea of the shop is to pass on my knowledge and research behind each painting and open them and the artists to a broader worldwide audience. In turn each customer can expect a well sourced painting with provenance, that will continue to increase in value over time.

I have mainly focused on watercolours as from a previous blog post I have always been interested in their technique and it is an affordable way for art enthusiasts to collect paintings. I have also generally stuck to 19th Century maritime artists as this is where my interests are. Some of these include: Edward Duncan (RSW), Clarkson Stanfield (RA), Copley Fielding (RSW), Montague Dawson (signed large prints), Thomas Bush Hardy (RBA), George Stanfield Walters (RBA), and Henry Barlow Carter. This list is continually changing as I sell paintings and add newly sourced ones and I am hoping to expand much further.

To give an insight into some of the paintings available below are some photos. If you have any questions about my Ebay shop please reply to this blog or message me on my Ebay account. This could be about particular paintings or artists. Also if you like a particular artist which I am not selling I can look into sourcing a painting for you. Keep checking the Ebay page as there will always be new paintings. Lastly, if it is interesting I may look in more depth at some of the paintings I am selling as well as the artists. I will return to normal blog posts next time. For now I hope some people have had a chance to go to the Turner Exhibition at the Tate!

Figure 1. Copley Fielding, 'Sailing on the English Coast', watercolour, 20 x 30cm.

Figure 2. George Stanfield Walters, 'Timber discharging in Southampton habour', watercolour, 23.5 x 40cm.

Figure 3. Montague Dawson, 'The Action between Java and the Constitution December 1812', signed limited edition print,  51 x 76cm.

Figure 4. Henry Barlow Carter, 'Fingal's Cave off Staffa's Island', 1846, watercolour, 31.5 x 44.5 cm.

JMW Turner and the link to Impressionism and Monet

Firstly, I will be back to doing regular blog posts on Maritime art and there is plenty to catch up on! I have been doing a lot of research and have read a lot since June so there should be some new and interesting insights which I will use.

In July I was in Paris for the first time and this was incredibly exciting as I managed to visit the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay and Versailles. I was particularly struck in my visit to the d'Orsay of the impressionists views of the sea and how they portrayed this. I have always been interested in Claude Monet (1840-1926) and was lucky to view a major exhibition of his in Wellington (New Zealand) in 2009. This time however, it was mainly his seascapes that drew me in, such as figure 1 which is a view of the Houses of Parliament. I had never considered how close JMW Turner was to the impressionists until this visit. Turner's famous painting 'Snow Storm - Steam-Boat off a Harbour's Mouth' (figure 2) helps to show this. Both artists make the water warp into the sky and the surroundings. For Monet the focus is on light with the sun reflecting on the Thames and the same can be said of Turner and the use of light around the steam boat in the storm. Although clearly differing in style the similarities are quite striking.

Figure 1. Claude Monet 'Londres, le Parlement. Trouée de soleil dans le brouillard en 1904', Oil-on-Canvas, 81.5 x 92.5cm, Musée d'Orsay

Figure 2. JMW Turner 'Snow Storm - Steam-Boat off a Harbour's Mouth' (1842), Oil-on-Canvas, 91.4 x 121.9cm, Tate.

Towards the end of Turner's career his work did become more detached from his earlier more traditional artwork. The use of colour and light became the centrepiece of each painting. There is a new exhibition at the Tate called 'Late Turner: Painting set free' and this explores Turner's change of style in depth. I haven't had a chance to go to it yet but cannot wait for the opportunity.

To finish this blog I will leave a final seascape of Monet's that caught my attention at the d'Orsay called 'Les barques. Régates à Argenteuil' (figure 3). The light is very captivating and you can imagine yourself on one of the sailing boats. Although the water is not as realistic as other maritime artists I have previously looked at (such as Stanfield, Pocock and Serres) it still is a scene you can imagine being part of. I will explore this link again in the future as the link is clearly the use of light on the water which the great maritime artists have always used. I would be interested to hear other views on this area and whether you agree with my idea of Turner being a link to Monet.

Figure 3. Claude Monet 'Les barques. Régates à Argenteuil' (1874), Oil-on-Canvas,  60.5 x 100.5cm, Musée d'Orsay.

JMW Turner's 'The Fighting Temeraire' - Britain's Greatest Ever Painting?

Every major Turner exhibition or book always has his famous painting 'The Fighting Temeraire' (Figure 1) in, with many opinions about why it is so important. The artwork was voted in a BBC poll in 2005 by the public as Britain's greatest ever painting beating off John Constable's 'The Hay Wain' quite comfortably. This acknowledgement adds a lot of credibility to the role of maritime art in Britain and shows the nation still regards works of the 19th century incredibly highly.

Personally I find the painting interesting on various levels. I think it is a bold cross between realism and impressionism that Turner was starting to turn to later in his career. The role of HMS Temeraire in the Battle of Trafalgar was key and the fact that it was now being towed by a small steam boat showed how times had changed. The rising of the moon in the top left hand corner and the setting of the sun on the right show that the age of wind powered ships was ending and a new dawn of steam boats was coming. Other artists such as Clarkson Stanfield were still depicting the Battle of Trafalgar at around this time and others such as E.W. Cooke, George Chambers and A.W. Callcott were still depicting traditional maritime art.

Turner was always prepared to try something new and he is a very much a cross between the old school artists and the new era of impressionism. Today many people probably take this for granted but Turner was entering somewhere no other artist of this period was prepared to do in the way that he did.

Do you agree that this is Britain's Greatest Painting? Also have you seen this painting in the National Gallery? If you haven't I recommend you go to see it first the next time you are in the Gallery!

Figure 1: JMW Turner, 'The Fighting Temeraire', Tugged to her Last Berth to be Broken Up, 1838 (1839), Oil-on-canvas, 90.7 x 121.6cm, National Gallery.

Mr Turner the movie and the exciting opportunity for the maritime art world

I came across a trailer for the new film about the life of JMW Turner which is due to be released in October later on this year. Here is the link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturevideo/filmvideo/cinema-trailers/10830774/Mr-Turner-watch-the-first-trailer-of-Mike-Leighs-JMW-Turner-biopic.html . It was a fascinating insight into the film and has already excited me about the potential impact this will have on the popularity of maritime art. I have recently been reading a book on Turner's painting 'The Fighting Temeraire' and the quick glimpse of Clarkson Stanfield suggesting to Turner that the HMS Temeraire would be a good theme for a painting was particularly striking. Through immortalising Turner as one of Britain's greatest ever artists can only be good for his rivals such as Stanfield, Edward Cooke, David Roberts, and Augustus Callcott who are all cast in the new film (see this list: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2473794/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast).

I am interested to see the effect this film will have on the maritime art market, as well as how the whole film shapes up. From the trailer I think it has plenty of potential to appeal to quite a wide market. What do people think of it? What would you like to see in the film and what impact on maritime art do you think it will have?

The Sublime in paintings of St Michael's Mount, Cornwall by JMW Turner and Clarkson Stanfield

19th Century maritime artists were particularly awed by the Cornish island of St Michael's Mount near to Marazion. JMW Turner, followed by Clarkson Stanfield and Charles Napier Hemy all made sure they stopped to paint this national heritage site. Artist trips to Cornwall and the West of England were common way before the Newlyn School came to being at the end of the 1800s, and St Michael's Mount was one place every artist wanted to go to.

Today if one visits the mount you can see why it is still seen as one of the most sublime places to go to in the United Kingdom. Whether you go on a sunny or a stormy day, the island is unparalleled and the different skies and seas help to give a new experience on every visit. Being located in the far South West of Cornwall the weather is very changeable with clear blue skies suddenly passing for ominous black ones and surges in wind speeds. 

I have chosen two contrasting depictions of the Mount for this blog post to show how differently the sublime nature of the island can be expressed. The sublime was something that many artists in this period were still trying to achieve and this stemmed from the philosopher Edmund Burke (18th Century) who himself believed that scenes of power, magnificence and vastness could be sources of 'the sublime' which could ultimately bring people closer to God and to nature.

The first example is by Clarkson Stanfield (see figure 1) and helped launch his career as a Royal Academician. The painting shows the Mount with an incredible storm coming on with fishermen in the foreground trying to save a boat. The magnificence of the castle is on display with a glimmer of sunshine lighting it. King William IV was so impressed with the painting when he saw it at an exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1830 that he commissioned Stanfield to do two paintings for him. This break helped to make Stanfield into one of the most famous British Maritime artists of the period and it was St Michael's Mount that helped to launch this.

Figure 1: Clarkson Stanfield, Mount St Michael Cornwall, 1830, Oil-on-Canvas, 153 x 244 cm,  National Gallery of Victoria, Australia.

JMW Turner visited Cornwall on a few occasions but the painting I have chosen to compare to Stanfield's was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1834 (see figure 2), therefore a few years after Stanfield's attempt. This painting is typical of Turner and instead of a rough sea it is drawn as calmly is it possibly could be. The castle like Stanfield's is doused in sunlight, but this time it looks almost from another heavenly world, a completely different attempt to Stanfield's at displaying the sublime.

Figure 2: JMW Turner, St Michael's Mount, Cornwall, 1834, Oil-on-Canvas,  61 x 77.4 cm, Victoria and Albert Museum.

I am interested in people's opinion's on the two paintings and to see what each painting evokes in regard to emotions. I am also particularly interested to hear from anyone has visited St Michael's Mount and to see if either painting reminds you of your visit. Remember there was no photography at this point when Stanfield and Turner painted therefore the role of an artist was heightened with as much drama as the artist thought was necessary. Interestingly even after photography was invented artists would still come back to paint the Mount and I think it still holds a mystical and sublime appeal today.

Watercolours and the JMW Turner effect

JMW Turner revolutionised the use of watercolours as a painting medium through his career. The Royal Academy and other art circles in the late 18th century and before would never have considered watercolours in a similar league to oil paintings, yet Turner saw the distinct advantages that watercolours possessed. They gave artists like Turner the opportunity to add colour to quick sketches as well as being able to add other effects that would be impossible with oil works.

The Turner and the Sea exhibition towards the end gives examples of Turner's sketchbooks and his experiments with watercolours. This helps to show the changing effects of light and contrast that he was able to achieve. The Bell Rock Lighthouse (fig.1) watercolour gives this example perfectly. The painting gives the sea realism that equals any oil work and also gives an incredible lighting effect to the lighthouse and the sky surrounding it. Watercolours like this could also be painted much quicker than any oil painting which was exactly what artists like Turner and Clarkson Stanfield used on their sketching tours across Britain and Europe. They also were often used as precursors to much larger oil paintings, giving Turner the chance to experiment before producing the final copy for a patron.

Another example is a painting Turner did of Plymouth during one of his many sketching tours across Britian in 1825 (see fig.2). This time Turner adds a rainbow to the watercolour and the effect on the harbour gives a drama to the whole scene as the storm in the background passes. Obviously due the nature of oil works their value has always been very high in auction houses but Turner has started to help change this trend. In 2006 in fact a watercolour by Turner reached a record £5.8 million at Christie's (see this article http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1520438/Turner-watercolour-fetches-record-5.8m.html). This has helped to elevate other artists watercolours which is great for private collectors as the value of watercolours they own are beginning to rise and also is a good time to invest in watercolours as their prices are steadily rising. You can still get many major maritime artist's watercolours for under £500 such as Charles Napier Hemy, Edward Duncan, E.W. Cooke, Henry Barlow Carter and Copley Fielding. They are definitely worth looking at as they will in time prove to be very good investments.

JMW Turner has had a lasting and continuing effect on watercolours and for this the art world will always be grateful. Maritime works in particular make the most of this technique which is why the Turner and the Sea exhibition gives a lot of attention to this art medium.

Figure 1. J.M.W Turner, The Bell Rock Lighthouse (1819), watercolour: 30.6 x 45.5 cm, Scottish National Gallery.

Figure 2. J.M.W. Turner, Plymouth with a Rainbow (c.1825), watercolour: 16.4 x24.7 cm, Museu Calouste Gulbenkian.

Changing lights of the sea through the master Charles Napier Hemy (1841-1917)

Through recents weeks I have been struck by how the light of the sun, the moon, the stars, and lights on boats, streets and houses have such an effect on the sea around where I live. The view of the sea is so dependent on the weather and light conditions at a particular moment and can give someone a very different vision of where they have been.

On Sunday after Church I went to have a look at the local waterstones and came across a book on a local RA artist Charles Napier Hemy (1841-1917). Although being aware of Hemy living in Falmouth I had never paid great attention to his life or works. Hemy moved to Falmouth in 1881 and immediately fell in love with his surroundings. He even converted an old boat to become one of his art studios (see figure 1) which was moored in Falmouth harbour. Likewise, Hemy could often be seen rowing around the harbour sketching and drawing the changing wave patterns and light effects. Through the coming months I will return to Hemy as he is certainly an artist I am interested in, particularly since he painted the surroundings  I know and see each day. If I am struck by the incredible changes of view around Falmouth then I can imagine Hemy being awestruck. Figure 2 shows a view of Pendennis Castle on the Peninsula of Falmouth and the blue of the sea is very typical of the area on a sunny day. I can imagine where Hemy is painting from and yet despite being a master of the sea Hemy could only produce something this realistic from years of watching the sea each day. This is a true master of the sea who especially in Cornwall, across the UK and even the world maritime art communities deserves high praise.

Lastly, have a look at figure 3 which is a painting of some Cornish fishermen, a theme Hemy returned to again and again, but this time notice the difference of the sea colour and the sky of the painting to figure 2. This painting recently sold at Sotheby's, would anyone like to guess how much for? Hopefully this blog will help you to appreciate how difficult mastering the sea is for artists, and make you aware of the changing view of our coastal environments. Hemy truly was a master of this.

Figure 1. Charles Napier Hemy in his converted art studio in Falmouth harbour in 1891

Figure 2. Charles Napier Hemy, Fishermen near the coast of Falmouth, oil-on-canvas: 63.5 x 92.7 cm, private collection.

Figure 3. Charles Napier Hemy, Hauling the Trammel net (1892), oil-on-canvas: 82.5 x 120 cm, private collection.

JMW Turner: a master of the stormy or the calm sea?

I am currently reading Philip Hook's book 'Breakfast at Sotheby's' (which I highly recommend), and in one of the sections he looks at why a painting sells well at auctions. Regarding seascapes he believes that still seas with sunshine and not stormy weather sell best. He does make the point that some artists are the exception and I think this is true of JMW Turner.

Two excellent examples of this are 'The Shipwreck' (1805, figure 1) and 'Dort or Dordrecht, the Dort Packet Boat from Rotterdam Becalmed' (1818, figure 2). 'The Shipwreck' is one of the first paintings you see at the Turner and Sea exhibition and it certainly strikes you as a scene where you would not like to be in one of the boats painted. Turner following in the footsteps of the Dutch maritime masters such as Willem van de Velde the Younger has created one of the most compelling stormy sea paintings I have seen and I would argue ever been created. You have to see this painting in real life to fully appreciate it, if you just look at the dimensions it is massive.The sea looks realistic and for a country used to many shipwrecks at the beginning of the 19th century this would really have made an impact at the Royal Academy.

Figure 1. JMW Turner, The Shipwreck, 1805, Oil on Canvas 170.5 x 241.5cm, Tate: Turner Bequest 1856.

Figure 2. JMW Turner, Dort, or Dordrecht, the Dort Packet Boat from Rotterdam Becalmed, 1818, Oil on canvas, 157.5 x 233cm, Yale Center for British Art.

The second painting (see figure 2) is almost the exact opposite to 'The Shipwreck'. It uses warm colours of reds, and oranges to create an incredible calmness and serenity. This paintings is one of Turner's most famous works and it is hard to argue against this. The sea this time is as still as it can be and the oncoming sunset creates the perfect light for Turner to work with. Again the size of this painting needs to be considered (Turner liked to work on massive canvases) and the audience Turner is painting for. This is realism painting in its prime and is an example of Turner's works that I prefer before he started to experiment and became more abstract.

One critic at the 1834 summer Royal Academy exhibition was quoted whilst reviewing Turner's seascapes as saying 'there is perhaps no branch of art which presents a wilder field for exaggeration than that of marine-painting', this is certainly true. Both paintings looked at are stunning examples in their own right but which would you prefer to view, or if you were very lucky or fortunate, own in your house? I am still debating this myself, it is not as easy as Philip Hook may lead one to believe.

Nicholas Pocock (1740-1821) - an apogee of British naval art?

According to Richard Johns in the Turner & the Sea exhibition book (2013) Nicholas Pocock (1740-1821) represents the apogee of British naval art in the 18th century. Pocock represents a similar technique to Dominic and Thomas Serres which was looked at in the last post yet has his own distinct style. The era of Pocock's paintings fitted perfectly with Britain's naval encounters with the French and the main painting chosen for the Turner & the Sea exhibition is 'His Majesty's Ship the 'Brunswick' engaging the 'Vengeur' on the First of June, 1794' (see figure 1).

The painting depicts the Third Battle of the Ushant, which is known in British history as the 'Glorious First of June' battle. This battle was the first large scale naval battle of the French Revolutionary War and was fought about 400 miles off the coast of Brittany. I find Pocock's paintings of this period intriguing as neither the French or the British could claim complete victory but paintings of the battle were key to public morale back home. The battle ended up lasting five days and the French ship the 'Vengeur du Peuple' was sunk, as well as 6 French ships being captured by the British fleet which was led by Admiral Lord Howe.

Pocock purportedly witnessed the battle and even though there is large amounts of smoke from cannon fire the details of the boats involved is still visible. The British ship in the centre is standing firm against the onslaught of two French ships. It is a perfect example of art displaying what the British government and monarchy wanted to the public to see. The painting is also very large for one that only depicts a couple of ships. If you compare Pocock to the Serres this is even more obvious, with Serres including many ships in his battle canvases. However, as future posts will show I think British artists followed further in Pocock's style and this can be seen in works by JMW Turner and Clarkson Stanfield later in the next century.

Figure 1. Nicholas Pocock, His Majesty's Ship the 'Brunswick' engaging the 'Vengeur' on the First of June, 1794 (1796), Oil-on-canvas, 139.7 x 190, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

Figure 1, detail

Dominic Serres (1722-93) and the depiction of eighteenth century naval warfare

The link between empire and art was growing steadily in Britain from the times of the van de Veldes onwards. This is particularly linked to the growing worldwide British Empire together with the British dominance of the seas. Dominic Serres R.A (1722-93) was one of the most accomplished naval warfare artists of his generation. Interestingly, Serres link van de Velde the Elder was not born in England but instead in his native France. In the 1740s he became a ships captain and sailed to Cuba where the British had strong imperial desires and was taken prisoner here. Eventually Serres settled in London in 1758 and became the prominent marine artist that we all know under the guidance of Charles Brooking. In 1780, following in the footsteps of the van de Veldes was appointed a royal marine artist by King George III.

In the Turner & the Sea exhibition Serres' famous The Battle of Negapatam, 6 July 1782 (see figure1) is on display. The painting itself belongs to a group of seven canvases that help to depict the pursuit and continuous engagement of the French East Indies squadron with the British fleet of Vice-Admiral Sire Edward Hughes off the coast of east India. The painting itself is cluttered with engagement between the two nations and is a departure from the sublime and picturesque that the van de Veldes often aimed for. JMW Turner did not follow in Serres's work like he did with the Dutch masters but it is hard to ignore the impact that Serres would have had back in England where his painting would have brought naval battles to life. The legacy of Serres was continued by his son John Thomas Serres (1759-1825) and for pure levels of battle details I don't think even Turner or the van de Veldes equal his father. This was confirmed with Dominic Serres becoming one of the founding members of the Royal Academy in 1768 and set maritime art high in national taste and interests.

Figure 1. Dominic Serres, The Battle of Negapatam, 6 July 1782 (1786), oil-on-canvas: 111.7 x182.8 cm, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. 

The Dutch van de Velde influence on JMW Turner

Willem van de Velde the Elder (1611-1693) and his son Willem van de Velde the Younger (1633-1707) are commonly seen as the main influence on British maritime art. In fact both JMW Turner and Clarkson Stanfield painting over a hundred years later were still known to have looked to the van de Velde's for influence. This can be seen from the fact that many of their paintings had Dutch settings.

Van de Velde the Elder was originally from Holland but ended up in the service of King Charles II of England in around 1672. He was commissioned to paint naval battles and even had the current Queen's House which is part of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich as his studio. The distinct realistic nature of the sea, boats and sky were new to the English maritime scene and left a lasting legacy on marine art in this country. His son continued his father's passion for art of this style and at the Turner & the Sea exhibition a couple of his famous paintings are on the display. The one shown below is a picture of a brigantine style of ship that is drifting towards a rocky outcrop. If you look closely van de Velde the Younger has concentrated on the plight of those who are on board the ship and you can even see some figures on the rigging. The realistic nature of the painting and the dramatic waves of the sea are very reminiscent of the 19th century marine artists this blog will mainly look at. However, it is worth seeing the original masters of this style, and how if at all it has developed.

It is worth taking a moment just to take in the brilliance of van de Velde the Younger and to see why the likes of Turner held him in such high esteem...

Willem van de Velde the Younger, A Mediterranean Brigantine Drifting onto a Rocky Coast Storm, c.1700, oil-on-canvas: 63.5 x 72.4 cm, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

John Constable on the BBC, Fake or Fortune?

I hope other people managed to watch the latest episode of 'Fake or Fortune?' on BBC1 this evening, if you missed it here is the link on iPlayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03srsjl/Fake_or_Fortune_Series_3_Constable/ , it is definitely worth viewing as it looks at two potential Constable seascapes which are examined for their authenticity. The show is also a major insight into the art world and has given me a lot to think about in future art auctions I am interested in. The difference between attributing a painting to someone such as Constable and saying it is by Constable could be a difference of thousands or even millions of pounds. I think this will be worth exploring this in future blog posts as I know auction houses often do not disclose the provenance of a painting which I can now see is more important than ever.

To start looking at the Turner exhibition I will look at Constable himself through his famous Chain Pier, Brighton (Figure 1) painting which is on display here. The canvas itself is Constable's only large scale painting that came about from his visits to Brighton in the 1820s. It compares interestingly to JMW Turner's painting from a slightly different angle of the pier called Brighton from the Sea (Figure 2). Turner focuses more on the sea than Constable and portrays the pier against a sunset whilst Constable has a decidedly more storm focused backdrop to his painting. I would be interested to see what people thought of the two paintings and which version of the pier they prefer as both artists use their own skills very differently but both achieve very memorable seascapes of Brighton.

Figure 1. John Constable, Chain Pier, Brighton ( (1827, oil-on-canvas, 127 x 183cm, Tate).

Figure 2. JMW Turner, Brighton from the Sea ((c.1828-30, oil-on-canvas, 63.5 x 132cm, Tate and the National Trust (Pentworth House)).

Welcome to the blog of British Maritime Art!

Having grown an interest more and more in Maritime art I think a blog will be a great way to meet others interested in this form of fine art and also give an opportunity for discussions that could be useful on many levels.

I recently went to the Turner and the Sea exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich and will be doing a continuous review of what I thought of the collection on show. Therefore if you have been to this exhibition I would be interested to see what you thought of it and what your highlights were.

Can anyone guess which British artist painted the scene I have used for the background of the blog? If you can, leave a comment and explain why you think it was done by a particular artist! I will try to update the blog regularly and welcome any feedback and people from all over the world as I want to grow my knowledge too. For now I will leave another painting of the artist I have used for my background to try and help you guess (another clue is that the painting below is on display at the Turner and the Sea exhibition).