William Anderson, Figures Boarding Ferry in a Landscape –early C19th watercolour
William Anderson, Figures Boarding Ferry in a Landscape –early C19th watercolour
William Anderson, Figures Boarding Ferry in a Landscape –early C19th watercolour

William Anderson Figures Boarding Ferry in Estuary Landscape

€427,95
€427,95
Sold

An original early 19th-century watercolour painting, William Anderson, Figures Boarding Ferry in Estuary Landscape.

An attractive large watercolour by William Anderson (1757–1837), showing delightful detail in the small figures gathered at the water's edge to board the rowboat ferry. A lady in finery is assisted by a well-dressed gentleman, whilst other figures are more rustic workers, including a man on horseback with a small herd of cattle. The scene is a fine encapsulation of the increased mixing of social classes that occurred in such Romantic beauty spots in the early 19th century, with the advent of tourism and a growing middle class. The landscape has previously been catalogued as a Highland lake, but this is unconfirmed; alternatively it is possibly a Welsh estuary or perhaps a Romantic confection. Either way, the grand scale of the mountain landscape relative to the tiny figures gives a sense of nature as both beautiful and sublime.

William Anderson was best known for his marine subjects, but this watercolour shows the influence of his friend Julius Caesar Ibbetson (1759–1817). The figures in particular are very similar to Ibbetson's, and it is quite possible that this picture is an example of the two artists' collaboration, with the figures drawn by Ibbetson. A historic cataloguing label which accompanies the watercolour indeed identifies the artist as 'J.C. Ibbetson'. It also suggests that the painting was one of a pair.

Sadly, the painting is significantly age toned, but it remains an interesting and handsome watercolour.

On thin watercolour board.

+ Read the Artist Research

William Anderson (1757–1837)

William Anderson (1757–1837) was born in Scotland, where he became a shipwright. It was not until his thirties that he began to pursue painting seriously, choosing to specialise in marine painting, for which his training as a shipwright stood him in good stead. Anderson moved to London and based his style on the Dutch 17th-century masters.

He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1780 and continued to exhibit annually until 1811. He then exhibited intermittently until 1834. His best work was executed in the years 1790 to 1810 during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, at which time the demand for naval paintings was high.

Commissions took Anderson to the north of England and here he was introduced to the Hull school of painters. He had particular influence on the best painter of that school, John Ward (1798–1849). He also became great friends with the Yorkshire landscape painter Julius Caesar Ibbetson (1759–1817), who is believed to have collaborated with him on some of his paintings.

Anderson's works can be found in the collections of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, the Ferens Art Gallery, Hull, the Graves Art Gallery, Sheffield, and Yale Centre for British Art, New Haven.

COA
+ Artwork Details

Dimensions: Height: 33.7cm (13.27") Width: 46.7cm (18.39")

Presented: Unframed.

Medium: Watercolour

Age: Early 19th-century

Signed: No.

Inscribed: The picture is accompanied by two separate historic labels, one of which is a small label text about William Anderson, and the other of which is a cataloguing label giving the artist as J.C. Ibbetson.

Dated: --

Condition: The paper is significantly toned within the area of the historic mounting window. The corners of the thin board are knocked, with surface paint losses to the upper corners. There are also a number of slight scattered scratches and abrasions to the paper, which are only really noticeable when close up. There is mounting tape at the upper edge of the board, and there is further discolouration and marks across the verso. Please see photos for detail.

Stock number: JT-905