A 'Peter boat' drawn up on the Shore, with a House on the far Shore
A 'Peter boat' drawn up on the Shore, with a House on the far Shore
A 'Peter boat' drawn up on the Shore, with a House on the far ShoreSigned and inscribed lower left: Peter Boat C. Varley, and further inscribed on the boat: Tryall and W TappyPen and ink and watercolour over pencil, squared for transfer23.2 by 36.2 cm., 9 by 14 ¼ in.Provenance: With Sabin Galleries Ltd, Cork St, London;Anonymous sale, Christie's, 9th July 1985, lot 56;Engraved: By W. Boosey and published by Cornelius Varley, Varley's Drawing Book of Boats, shipping etc., also picturesque implements of Husbandry and other rustic subjects, 1847A Peter Boat was a small double-ended fishing boat that was popular around the Thames Estuary and East Anglia. These fishing boats often went out for several days or even a week at a time and consequently had a water tight compartment in the middle of the boat, to keep the catch alive until it was brought to shore. This compartment was kept flooded by small holes in the hull. The boat in the present watercolour was called Tryall, owned by a W. Tappy. The present highly finished watercolour was engraved as part of a series of engravings of different boats from drawings produced throughout Varley's career and published together in 1847. Although one of the reasons for the publication of this work was to promote the artist's Patent Graphic Telescope, as evidenced by the paragraph below the title, extolling the virtues of the drawing aid. Varley's fascination with boats was lifelong - in 1809 he had produced a small series of etchings intended for publication by subscription under the title of Etchings of Shipping, Barges, Fishing Boats, and other Vessels, commonly met with on the British Coasts, Rivers and Canals., The whole will be drawn from Nature, and etch'd by Cornelius Varley.){kind=link}
Cornelius Varley (1781-1873)
A 'Peter boat' drawn up on the Shore, with a House on the far Shore
Signed and inscribed lower left: Peter Boat C. Varley, and further inscribed on the boat: Tryall and W Tappy
Pen and ink and watercolour over pencil, squared for transfer
23.2 by 36.2 cm., 9 by 14 ¼ in.
Provenance:
With Sabin Galleries Ltd, Cork St, London;
Anonymous sale, Christie's, 9th July 1985, lot 56;
Engraved:
By W. Boosey and published by Cornelius Varley, Varley's Drawing Book of Boats, shipping etc., also picturesque implements of Husbandry and other rustic subjects, 1847
A Peter Boat was a small double-ended fishing boat that was popular around the Thames Estuary and East Anglia. These fishing boats often went out for several days or even a week at a time and consequently had a water tight compartment in the middle of the boat, to keep the catch alive until it was brought to shore. This compartment was kept flooded by small holes in the hull. The boat in the present watercolour was called Tryall, owned by a W. Tappy.
The present highly finished watercolour was engraved as part of a series of engravings of different boats from drawings produced throughout Varley's career and published together in 1847. Although one of the reasons for the publication of this work was to promote the artist's Patent Graphic Telescope, as evidenced by the paragraph below the title, extolling the virtues of the drawing aid. Varley's fascination with boats was lifelong - in 1809 he had produced a small series of etchings intended for publication by subscription under the title of Etchings of Shipping, Barges, Fishing Boats, and other Vessels, commonly met with on the British Coasts, Rivers and Canals., The whole will be drawn from Nature, and etch'd by Cornelius Varley.