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.
