Accession Number

998.041b

Description

A watercolour painting on paper, an overall light brown wash, three tallships and two small sail boats painted across the mid-ground, the ocean with a heavy chop and highlighted in blue, the signature at the bottom right corner, "T. B. Hardy", the "y" executed with a long stroke, on the verso written on the support, "Off the South Foreland"

Narrative

While living at Craigdarroch, Mrs. Dunsmuir had two paintings by Thomas Bush Hardy (British, 1842-1897). They sold at the 1909 Craigdarroch auction. This isn't one of them but it was acquired for the museum because she apparently liked Hardy's work.

This picture includes a feature sometimes seen in Hardy's marine paintings. He would often physically cut the paper at the crests of waves to impart a three-dimensional effect. 

It should be noted that in 2016 The Castle Society acquired one of the Hardy pictures mentioned in the 1909 Craigdarroch auction catalogue. It is titled "Lost" and can be seen in Craigdarroch's drawing room or by looking here:  

https://collection.thecastle.ca/Detail/objects/8645
 

History of Use

Unknown. The painting was purchased at a puclic auction in Victoria, B.C. in 1998.

Date

circa 1890

Dimensions

22 x 35 cm

Material

Paint, watercolour; Paper

Serial Number

No 1416; 1818

Artwork Title

Sail Boats off the Foreland

Subject/Image

marine scene with ships and shore

Medium

Watercolour

Support

Paper

Inscription

Off the South Foreland
(this title is on the back of the paper)

Country of Origin

United Kingdom