This mid-19th-century oil painting attributed to British artist William Adolphus Knell (1805-1875) depicts a sailing yacht before a Mediterranean coastline. Knell was one of the leading maritime painters of his generation and exhibited extensively.
Illuminated by vivid light, sails billowing, and travelling at speed, she cuts elegantly through crystalline waters. It’s a blissful sight, a day spent sailing amid perfect conditions. On deck, three women in bell-shaped dresses sit to enjoy the view. It’s possibly Naples or Capri in Italy.
Yachting was a popular pastime for the Victorian landed gentry who often commissioned these elegant craft for racing, pleasure trips or both. Numerous races were held across the British Isles with prize money awarded for the top finishers. Usually, the yachts were sailed for them by hired crew. Note how the artist has depicted the boat heeling to provide a view of the deck.
Born in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, Knell’s fascination for maritime painting probably developed early when observing numerous ships as they navigated The Solent. One can imagine the young aspirant with his sketchbook in hand, spending countless hours in the harbour. Cowes had long been renowned for its shipbuilding and would’ve provided the ideal environment to study rigging and the nuances of construction. During the reign of George IV, it also became 'The Yachting Capital of the World' with an impressive regatta held annually.
By 1825, Knell had debuted at the prestigious Royal Academy and moved to London in search of opportunities. Here, he opened a studio and quickly developed a solid reputation as a painter of merit. In 1826, he began showing works at the Royal Society of British Artists and, in 1840, his ‘The Arrival of Prince Albert’ was purchased by Prince Albert himself.
He painted with an extraordinary level of fidelity and often wrestled with challenging compositions. This was particularly the case with his masterpiece, ‘Indiaman in the Thames’, which is at Royal Museums Greenwich. Backlit by a poignant setting sun, a forlorn storm-damaged ship is a symbolic reference to a changing empire. It’s somewhat reminiscent of Turner’s ‘The Fighting Temeraire’, and equally captivating.
William Adolphus Knell is represented in numerous public collections including at The British Museum, Government Art Collection and National Maritime Museum.
Signed faintly ‘W.A. Knell’ in the lower right and held within a later neo-classical style gilt frame with an architrave profile.
Learn more about William Adolphus Knell in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 45” x 31” / 115cm x 79cm
Year of creation: c. 1860
Provenance: Private collection, UK.
Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Faint stretcher mark. Craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Frame in good condition with minor age-related wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £17,231 for ‘The Ship Waterloo East Indiaman (1825)’, Oil on canvas, San Rafael Auction Gallery, San Rafael, 1999 (lot 17).
Our reference: BRV2049
