Fine Small Oil Painting of Ship of the Line + Other Vessels by George Chambers Senior c.1833

A fine and small 19th Century (c.1833) oil painting of a Ship of the Line and Other Vessels by George Chambers Snr, of small size and jewel-like quality, the present piece is typical of the fine quality of the works of George Chambers Snr (1803-1840). Chambers painted in watercolour, on panel and, as in the present case, in oils on canvas, concentrating primarily on shipping subjects in around the coasts of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. In his Down to the Coast report, completed on behalf of the Isle of Wight AONB partnership, Professor Robin McInnes described Chambers as follows: ‘Important painter of marine subjects, his naval upbringing is reflected in the accuracy of his work. He painted numerous views in the waters around the IW, the bulk of his local work being exhibited in the 1830s. 1829 (RA 336) ‘Off Ryde, IW’; 1830 (BI 493) ‘A fresh breeze, Portsmouth in the distance’; 1833 (BI 389) ‘A line-of-battle ship off Culver Cliff’; 1833 (SS 361) ‘A Portsmouth ferry-boat crossing to the IW’; 1834 (SS 125) ‘Off Bembridge Point, IW’ and 1837 (SS 31) ‘The Camilies, West Indiaman, leaving her fleet off Bembridge, IW’. The late Alan Russett, author of the standard reference work on Chambers George Chambers 1803-40: His Life and Work, published in 1996, was shown the present work by Jonathan Hill-Reid of Cooper Fine Art in 2013 shortly after he had acquired the piece as attributed to George Chambers Jnr at Bonham’s in 2013. Mr Russett replied in a letter, included with the painting, that ‘it is an attractive and typical work and I would have no objection to the attribution to George Chambers Senior’. The piece was with the great art dealers Leggatt Brothers of St James’s in the George VI period, as evidenced by their label on the back of the frame with George VI’s royal warrant on it. Leggatt’s owned a number of works by Chambers over the years and were clearly enthusiastic about his qualities as a painter. A very similar composition to the present piece, almost certainly painted at the same time, was offered at Sotheby’s Olympia on the 29th of May 2002. The piece was described as: ‘English battleship off the coast, oil on panel” and was of a very similar size to our piece-9×12 inches. This painting is recorded in the Witt Archive in the Courtauld. This latter painting has a somewhat clearer background which looks like it may represent Culver Cliff on the Isle of Wight. Given the piece exhibited at the British Institution by Chambers in 1833, and mentioned in Prof. McInnes’ account above, was ‘A line-of-battle ship off Culver Cliff’, it is tempting to think that the present piece and the one sold at Sotheby’s in 2002 may well have been related compositions. Provenance With Leggatt Brothers of St James’s in the George VI period A British private collection Bonhams, 2013 With Cooper Fine Arts 2013 A British private collection