This mid-19th-century oil painting attributed to Scottish artist William Clark of Greenock (1803-1883) depicts a fully-rigged British frigate sailing off Yarmouth and The Needles, Isle of Wight. Clark was an accomplished painter of marine portraits.
Navigating a relatively calm Solent, this impressive Royal Navy vessel is a sight to behold as it sails past the iconic Needles. Numerous crew are visible on deck plus several midway up the foremast.
Born in Greenock, the son of John Clark, a mariner, William Clark was raised close to the ever-evolving Greenock Harbour, known for its shipbuilding heritage. Over the course of his lifetime, numerous maritime industries were launched and the harbour became a major local employer. He was apprenticed as a ‘decorative house painter’, which furnished him with the rudiments, before becoming a ship portraitist in 1830.
The mainstay of Clark’s work involved painting ships, usually a broadside view, for visiting captains. He did so with accuracy and a keen understanding of rigging, which he potentially gained during discussions with his father. Such was his commitment to the nuances of sailing that one particular seaman commented, “I say, that chap's a sailor as well as a painter.”
In 1835, Clark was asked to produce a depiction of the Royal Northern Yacht Club Regatta, which was a significant regional event. The resulting painting was shown extensively and received numerous plaudits. Three years later, he was elected to the very same club.
As the Clyde shipyards began to transition from sail to steam, he continued in the same vein, undeterred by advancing technology. Numerous commissions followed including from the Queen of Spain in 1863, and the Sultan of Turkey in 1865. Three years later, his ‘Arrival of the Royal Squadron at the Tail of the Bank on the Occasion of the Royal Visit to Scotland in 1847’ was sent to Osborne House for inspection by Queen Victoria.
When into his later years, his constant supply of work paid for his own home, a housekeeper and a comfortable lifestyle. He remained in Greenock throughout his life and seemingly rarely, if ever, ventured south. He did, however, produce occasional views of southern coastlines.
In 1845, the Greenock Advertiser celebrated his ability to combine “excellence of painting with correct drawing of vessels, and a perfect knowledge of seamanship”.
He’s represented in numerous public collections including at the National Maritime Museum, Yale Center for British Art, National Library of Australia, and Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.
Held within a 19th-century gilt frame with rocaille corners and extensive strapwork.
Learn more about William Clark Of Greenock in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 32½” x 26½” / 83cm x 68cm
Year of creation: c. 1860
Labels & Inscriptions: Label with attribution and title on reverse.
Provenance: Duke & Son, Dorchester, 6 March 1997 (£1,500) / Wabey House, Upwey, Weymouth, UK.
Condition: Cleaned. Canvas relined. Faint stretcher mark. Craquelure throughout. Frame with various marks and showing its age.
Artist’s auction maximum: £45,362 for ‘Portrait of Hydrabad’, Oil on canvas, Christie’s, New York, 17 feb 1998 (lot 12).
Our reference: BRV2110
