Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are delighted to offer for sale this atmospheric marine watercolour by the artist William Minshall Birchall, who has signed the painting in the lower left hand corner, dated it 1939 and entitled it 'North Sea Weather'. The painting depicts a three masted clipper ship running before the wind on a stormy day in the North Sea. One of its sails appears to be flappping in the wind, with a figure aloft on the spar.

This is one of a pair of paintings by this artist that we are listing.

William Minshall Birchall 1884-1941, was a marine painter, primarily in watercolours, who was apparently born in Iowa, USA in September 1884, although we can find no record of his birth, either in the USA or the UK. We do know that in 1911, he, although married, was living in Hackney, London with his father William Henry, who had been born in Australia and his occupation was listed as an insurance clerk. We have no knowledge of whether he studied art or was just naturally gifted, but he was certainly a prolific watercolourist. He moved to Hastings, East Sussex at some stage, where he died in 1941.

He painted naval vessels, liners, fishing boats and scenes in the Port of London and is very well regarded. There are multiple auction results recorded for his work, with 442 records at artprice.com, 225 at findartinfo.com etc. He exhibited at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.

The painting has been newly double mounted in two tone acid-free mountboard and is newly framed in a 1 1/4" antiqued silver frame to suit. It will be supplied wired and ready to hang.

Image size: 17 7/8" x 12 1/4" - 45.45cm x 31.1cm

Frame size: 25 1/2" x 20" - 64.7cm x 50.7cm

Medium: Watercolours

Condition: Excellent condition with no foxing or fading. The mounts and frame are new.