This beautiful late 19th-century oil painting by British marine painter William Anslow Thornbery (1847-1907) depicts a coastal scene off Staithes in North Yorkshire.

The title is inscribed on the reverse using a formula Thornbery returned to frequently - "A Calm, Off…" followed by the location. It is appropriate here as there's almost no drama in the weather and very little movement in the water. Instead, Thornbery has concentrated upon the quiet interest of the harbour itself: boats, fishermen, distant shipping and the soft evening light settling across the sea.

Staithes was a thriving fishing village during the 19th century, its tightly packed cottages descending towards a small harbour sheltered between high cliffs. Fishing and coastal trade brought a continual movement of people and vessels, while its rugged surroundings and changing North Sea light increasingly attracted artists. By the 1890s, an important artists' colony had developed there.

One can easily imagine why Thornbery travelled there. He seems to have possessed an enduring appetite for coastal towns and harbours, repeatedly painting the different rhythms of maritime life. Perhaps he stayed for several days, talked with the fishermen and watched the harbour from morning until evening. He knew these environments remarkably well.

Here, much of the pleasure lies in the variety of vessels. A substantial sailing ship dominates the centre-left, its masts and rigging rising against the warm sky. Along the shore, fishermen and other figures attend to boats and equipment, while a small rowing boat carries several people across the foreground. Tiny sails punctuate the horizon and, far to the right, a paddle steamer appears almost ghostlike through the haze.

Thornbery has brought sail, oar and steam together within a single view. It feels less like a deliberate statement about technological change than something he simply observed - the fascinating mixture of craft one might encounter while sitting beside a busy late 19th-century harbour.

The light is beautifully restrained. Warm cream and apricot gather around the horizon before cooling into pale blue and turquoise across the water. Reflections break gently beneath the boats, while the cliffs and distant shipping gradually dissolve into atmospheric haze.

Inscribed on the reverse and held in a later frame.

Learn more about William Anslow Thornbery in our directory.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 28” x 20” / 71cm x 51cm
Year of creation: c. 1890
Labels & Inscriptions: Inscribed with the title on the reverse.
Provenance: Private collection, UK.
Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Faint stretcher marks. Craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Frame in good condition with minor age-related wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £10,500 achieved in 2006 for ‘Moonlit Docks/Sunset on the Banks’.
Our reference: BRV2370