Nicholas Matthew Condy (1818–1851) was the younger son of landscape artist Nicholas Condy (1793–1857), with whom he is sometimes confused. He was born in Dover but by 1824 the family was living in Plymouth and Nicholas attended Mount Radford School in Exeter. He later studied under Reverend C. Thomas of Lew Trenchard, and his work attracted the early admiration of the Earl of Egremont, J.M.W. Turner’s patron.
Condy used his maritime knowledge acquired in his hometown to paint accurate ship portraits and become a successful marine artist. Three of his sea-pieces were exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1842 to 1845. His early promise was cut short however, by his sudden death in 1851 aged just thirty-two.
Works by Nicholas Matthew Condy are held in the collections of the National Maritime Museum, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, National Trust, Government Art Collection, Plymouth Art Gallery and Britannia Royal Naval College.
