Samuel Owen (Attributed), Maritime Scene With A Royal Navy Man-Of-War

c. 1820

This splendid mid-18th-century oil painting depicts a marine scene with numerous British and Dutch vessels, including two impressive ‘Men-O’-War’. It’s comparable to the oeuvre of Anglo-French painter, Dominic Serres RA (c.1722-1793). The rich British tradition of marine painting is representative of Britain’s naval power during the 18th century. Such was the dominance of Britain’s navy that paintings such as this were in high demand by patrons, particularly by the landed gentry. These drama-filled ensembles were influenced by the earlier Dutch painters such as Ludolf Backhuysen...

This late 19th-century French oil painting depicts the barque Limbe in choppy waters, with the silhouettes of two further ships beyond. It was probably produced at Le Havre, France, ...

This idyllic late 19th-century oil painting by English artist Edward William Cooke RA (1811-1880) depicts a west-country cove with two cottages, donkeys, figures, and fishing boats. Cooke was a highly renowned painter of marine scenes and landscapes who exhibited extensively at London’s Royal Academy. From our elevated vantage point, the view extends between two quaint cottages and across the beach before sweeping around the sandy coastline. Crystalline waters lap the shore, where moored craft rest. It’s an accomplished rendering of a challenging composition. It’s enhanced by trees, which essentially ‘frame’ the right side, while a wooded track provides interest on the left. Cooke was a keen admirer of the Dutch old masters, and the spirit of the Golden Age underpins this splendid work. In diaries, he recorded how he travelled by donkey to access elevated spots in the southwest, so it’s conceivable that he did so here. In his catalogue raisonné, it lists a work from the same year titled ‘Bay with Donkeys’. Born in Pentonville, London, Cooke was raised in the company of accomplished artists as both his father, George Cooke (1781-1834), and his uncle, William Bernard Cooke (1778-1855), were engravers. As such, they were associated with a circle of Victorian painters who aided Cooke’s early development. These included the highly regarded marine painter Clarkson Frederick Stanfield RA RBA (1793-1867), who provided frequent advice and inspiration. Indeed, as a teenager, Cooke produced numerous drawings after Stanfield’s works. A precocious talent, by the age of nine, he was already displaying an advanced understanding of engraving, particularly for ships, coupled with a natural, seemingly in-built skill as a draughtsman. Many of his early drawings depict pastoral landscapes after the masters, such as Nicolaes Berchem (1620-1683), Paulus Potter (1625-1654), and Karel Dujardin (1626-1678). In an extraordinary turn of events, in 1820, his advanced abilities led to his first commission when he provided botanical illustrations for John Loudon's 'Encyclopaedia of Plants’. These were followed by drawings published in the 'Botanical Cabinet...

This late 19th-century oil painting by English artist Edward Robert Smythe (1810-1899) depicts a picturesque bay with buildings, fishing boats, figures and horses. Smythe was a maste...

A large marine painting probably depicting a British East Indiaman ship returning from a voyage to the East, attributed to British artist Francis Holman ...

Thomas Luny (British, 1759-1837) HMS Bellerophon leaving Torbay with the defeated Emperor Napoleon aboard, 26th July 1815, this oil on panel shows the crew manning the yards to bring in the sails, having just dropped anchor in Torbay, with another battleship anchored astern and a further ship under sail in the distance, the foreground with working boats approaching, signed and dated ‘Luny 1827’(lower left). In the original gilt-wood frame. Provenance: Private collection, UK. Footnote: Despite a service career as illustrious as any fighting ship...

This superb British Old Master marine oil painting is attributed to Peter Monamy. Painted circa 1730 it depicts Morning Gun - A morning gun is a gun fired at the first note of revei...

Naval Shipping in Stormy Seas English School, 18th century circle of Charles Brooking, (1723-1759) oil painting on canvas: 16.5 x 21.5 inches Morland ...