Clarkson Stanfield - The Maritime Art Explorer of the 19th Century

As someone who has always been interested in Geography and travelling I would say I have been to, and have seen various different countries and cultures. There is something unique about to going to a country which isn't the one in which you have grown up in. The world has become considerably smaller and travel is now cheaper and cheaper. Yet, if I was to say that many of the artists of the early 19th Century travelled more than any of us combined, most would probably not believe this but it is certainly true in many cases.

The Georgians and early Victorian's were fascinated in countries and far off lands that they had never been to, and it was the authors and artists of the day who brought these exotic places to life. David Roberts' (1796-1864) study and tour of the Holy Land is one of the most celebrated works of the 19th Century as it brought the Middle East to life for many people who would never have the chance to go there. Yet, it wasn't just landscape artists who flourished, maritime artists such as JMW Turner (1775-1851) and Clarkson Stanfield (1793-1867) spent many months abroad to help cater for the demand back in Britain. Turner's tours have been well documented but is Stanfield's that I will briefly cover.

The Heath's Picturesque Annual was one of the most popular Victorian travel books and it combined the use of artists' depictions along with a travel account of the journey undertaken by the author and the artist. Stanfield did the 1832-1834 editions with Leitch Ritchie and these brought him to France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland and Italy to name just a few countries. Figure 1 shows an image from the 1834 edition of Dieppe in France. Although many of the illustrations for the annuals are of landscapes, Stanfield's mastery of the sea comes across in examples like this. A contrasting example is figure 2 of a still and calm Rotterdam from the 1833 edition.

Figure 1. Clarkson Stanfield 'Dippe' 1834 Heath's Picturesque Annual edition

Figure 2. Clarkson Stanfield 'Rotterdam' 1833 Heath's Picturesque Annual edition

What makes this era so interesting is that due to photographs not being in use yet and the high costs of travelling these sketches are what people would imagine the countries and locations to be like. Stanfield regularly went abroad for months at a time and in 1839 he was even caught up in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius (see figure 3). This is an interesting example as people back in Britain just wouldn't have known how a volcano would look like when it was exploding. Many of his most famous paintings are Italian or French scenes which for a British artist in the 19th Century is not a coincidence as this was what patrons and the public were particularly interested in.

Figure 3. Clarkson Stanfield (1839) 'Vesuvius in Eruption', watercolour, Tate Collection

Clarkson Stanfield did sketches for his own book 'Stanfield's Coast Scenery' (1836) which is probably what people would immediately think of when speaking of his sketches for books. Even here his examples of the British coastline is remarkably impressive, for example, his sketches of St Michael's Mount in Cornwall (see figure 4) which would have been a very remote place to have visited for someone from London in the early 19th Century.

Figure 4. Clarkson Stanfield 'St Michael's Mount, Cornwall', from Stansfield's Coast Scenery (1836)

There are many more examples that I could give here and that I could get excited about. However, there is another blog or possibly more that could be given to this area. It wasn't just Stanfield who sketched for books and famous engravers in the Victorian age and maybe there are others that you might want me to look at? I know Copley Fielding and Edward Duncan are two maritime artists who did a lot of commissions for books. Lastly, the sketches that Stanfield produced for the engravings were often made into larger paintings and sometimes oils that were equally stunning. It is amazing how much depth a grey toned engraving can give to a location but to see the colours that Stanfield would then use in an oil of somewhere like Naples or Vietri gives today's public an even greater appreciation of the travelling and exploration that Clarkson Stanfield did in the 19th Century. Finally, look at figure 5 and imagine viewing this as a Victorian who had never left Britain and who hadn't yet seen photographs of Vietri, Italy. It really does bring the warm colours of Italy to life.

Figure 5. Clarkson Stanfield 'Calm at Vietri', Oil on canvas, 1857

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.