Skip to main content
Video Loading
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 16

William Henry Williamson
Antique 19th century English fishing vessels In the English Channel

Circa 1880

$1,950
£1,477.12
€1,704.18
CA$2,734.13
A$3,047.83
CHF 1,604.18
MX$36,948.20
NOK 20,424.22
SEK 18,989.58
DKK 12,719.65

About the Item

William Henry Williamson (British, fl. mid to late 19th Century) Fishing Boats off the English Coast Oil on canvas, signed lower left Circa 1870–80 Presented in a period gilt frame with foliate and bead detail This spirited marine scene by William Henry Williamson captures a lively moment off the English coast, as a trio of fishing boats cut through choppy seas under a sky pierced with late afternoon light. The lead vessel, its sail angled sharply into the wind, dominates the composition with confident movement, while the swelling sea beneath hints at nature’s enduring power. Behind, a faint headland or fortified sea wall rises, silhouetted against the break of sky, grounding the composition in a specific—though unnamed—coastal setting. Painted circa 1870–80, Williamson’s work reflects the robust tradition of 19th-century English marine painting, blending the influence of Dutch seascapes with a more Romantic sensibility. His brushwork here is crisp and controlled, particularly in the play of light across cloud and cresting wave, while the boats themselves are rendered with precision and empathy—a testament to the artist’s familiarity with maritime subjects. Though little is recorded of Williamson’s personal biography, his seascapes are admired for their clarity, balanced drama, and tonal harmony. This example, signed at lower left, is a particularly fine composition: the restrained palette of deep marine blues and warm ochres allows the rhythm of sea and sky to take centre stage. Elegant and atmospheric, this work would complement collections of English coastal painting or nautical interiors, and speaks to the enduring appeal of the sea as both subject and metaphor in British art. Framed in a new hand made English frame
  • Creator:
    William Henry Williamson (1820 - 1883, English)
  • Creation Year:
    Circa 1880
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 12 in (30.48 cm)Width: 16 in (40.64 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    The painting is in fine original condition.
  • Gallery Location:
    Woodbury, CT
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU507316547472

More From This Seller

View All
Antique Dutch 19th century ships at sea, fishing boats, men rowing.
Located in Woodbury, CT
A very well-painted Dutch 19th century marine scene. The small boat is full of men who are rowing hard to get to the larger vessels, possibly to either take goods on or off the large...
Category

1870s Victorian Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th century antique English fishing boats by the White Cliffs of Dover
By J.H.Watson
Located in Woodbury, CT
A very pretty late 19th-century English marine scene of fishing boats beached after being out to sea and bringing in their catch for the day. This was a subject that was very popul...
Category

1880s Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

19th century English marine seascape, with fishing boats in the North Sea
Located in Woodbury, CT
William Thornley was a painter of coastal scenes whose work is very similar to Hubert and Charles Thornley, who may have been members of the same family. He painted scenes of genre, architecture, and landscapes as well. A number of the landscapes were of Belgium, Holland, Italy, and Norway. However, it is for his seascapes that he is best remembered. Thornley’s works are beautifully detailed and show a masterful understanding of the moods of both weather and sea. They are often small in size and put together with fine detail and great artistic merit. Thornley’s fishing scenes are spirited and similar in style to those of “Jock” Wilson, and are often painted in pairs. Thornley’s works have always been popular when they appear on the art market. He was believed to have first exhibited marines at the Royal Academy in 1859 from an address in Paddington, London and also at the British Institution from 1861 until it closed in 1867. He continued to exhibit at the Royal Academy until 1898. Thornley also exhibited at the Paris Salon and the Salon of French Artists, receiving an honorable mention in 1881 and a third-place medal in 1888. William Thornley also went by the names Georges William and William...
Category

1870s Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

English 19thC Victorian Shipping scene with fishing boats in the English Channel
By William Anslow Thornley
Located in Woodbury, CT
William Thornley was a painter of coastal scenes whose work is very similar to Hubert and Charles Thornley, who may have been members of the same family. He painted scenes of genre, architecture and landscapes as well. A number of the landscapes were of Belgium, Holland, Italy and Norway. However, it is for his seascapes that he is best remembered. Thornley’s works are beautifully detailed and show a masterful understanding of the moods of both weather and sea. They are often small in size and put together with fine detail and great artistic merit. Thornley’s fishing scenes are spirited and similar in style to those of “Jock” Wilson, and are often painted in pairs. Thornley’s works have always been popular when they appear on the art market. He was believed to have first exhibited marines at the Royal Academy in 1859 from an address in Paddington, London and also at the British Institution from 1861 until it closed in 1867. He continued to exhibit at the Royal Academy until 1898. Thornley also exhibited at the Paris Salon and the Salon of French Artists, receiving an honourable mention in 1881 and a third place medal in 1888. William Thornley also went by the names Georges William and William...
Category

1870s Victorian Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

19th century English coastal sea scene with warships, fishing boats and yachts
Located in Woodbury, CT
Alfred Vickers Senior (1786–1868) Shipping off the Coast, oil on canvas, circa 1860, signed lower left This lively coastal scene by Alfred Vickers Senior, painted circa 1860, reveal...
Category

1860s Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

19th century English marine Sailing scene of Dutch fishing boats by a harbor
By Henry King Taylor
Located in Woodbury, CT
Henry King Taylor was a marine and coastal scene painter who lived in London. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1859 to 1864 with titles includi...
Category

1850s Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

You May Also Like

Oil Painting by George Henry Knight "Fishing Boats of the South Coast"
Located in Mere, GB
Oil Painting by George Henry Knight "Fishing boats of the South Coast" by 1851 - 1922 Painter of atmospheric south coast views with good breeze and swell represented in the National ...
Category

19th Century Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil

Victorian Signed Oil Painting Fishing Boats in Choppy Seas off Old Harbour
By William Henry Williamson (1820-1883)
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Off the Harbour by William Henry Williamson (British 1820-1883) signed and dated 1874 oil painting on canvas, framed canvas: 12 x 18 inches fr...
Category

Late 19th Century Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th Century seascape oil painting of ships on the Humber Estuary
Located in Nr Broadway, Worcestershire
Henry Redmore British, (1820-1887) Trading Schooners & Dutch Luggers on the Humber Estuary Oil on canvas, signed & dated 1873 Image size: 23.5 inches x 37.5 inches Size including frame: 31.25 inches x 45.25 inches An atmospheric seascape of fishing boats and ships on the Humber Estuary at sunset. Fishermen can be seen unloading their catch by the shore as others take down their sails and drop anchor. Henry Redmore was born in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire in 1820 to James Redmore and Mary Wilkinson. His father was an engineer and initially Henry followed in his footsteps becoming a marine engineer. His job took him on several voyages as an engineer, which undoubtedly inspired his future career as an artist. He married Martha Markham on 28 November, 1844 at Hull and together they settled in Sculcoates, a suburb of Hull, They went on to have 4 children...
Category

19th Century Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th Century pair of marine oil paintings of ships off Scarborough & Portsmouth
By John James Wilson
Located in Nr Broadway, Worcestershire
**PLEASE NOTE: EACH PAINTING INCLUDING THE FRAME MEASURES 18.5 INCHES X 26.5 INCHES** John James Wilson British, (1818-1875) Shipping off Scarborough & Shipping off Portsmouth Harb...
Category

19th Century Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th Century pair of seascape oil paintings of fishing boats near Rochester
By Hubert Thornley
Located in Nr Broadway, Worcestershire
**PLEASE NOTE: EACH PAINTING INCLUDING THE FRAME MEASURES 16.25 INCHES X 22.25 INCHES** Hubert Thornley British, (exh. 1858 -1898) Rochester on the Medway & Moonset Nr Queenborough ...
Category

19th Century Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique French Oil Painting Sailing Ships on Choppy Seas in Stiff Breeze
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Sailing in a Stiff Breeze French School, 19th century indistinctly signed oil on canvas, framed framed: 9 x 12 inches canvas: 5 x 7.5 inches provenance: private collection, France co...
Category

19th Century Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil