W. L. Wyllie RA (1851-1931) - Hauling the fishing boats (possibly Seaford)
William Lionel Wyllie was one of the foremost British marine artists towards the end of the 19th century and at the start of the 20th century. He was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy (as well as being a Royal Academician) and was proficient in oils, watercolours and etchings. He had a great skill in etchings and was involved in the entire process himself. He used copper plates and then destroyed them after completing his modest output to make sure the works remained highly collectable. His skill as an etcher remains almost unrivalled amongst his contemporaries as he always managed to display both detail and atmosphere in each work. Wyllie would sign his etchings in pencil and we only sell original works by the artist.
This etching depicts a coastal scene with fisherfolk hauling their boats on the beach. We cannot find another version of this plate which is intriguing as Wyllie would often do 70-100 prints using the same plate. It's a large etching showing Wyllie put importance on it. There is also a dealer label verso that has the subject but it is difficult to decipher the handwriting (see photographs). It has been suggested that it may say 'Seaford' which is a town in East Sussex close to Eastbourne. It is a large sweeping sandy beach and the scene depicted in our etching could easily have been witnessed here by Wyllie. The artist spent a lot of his time in Portsmouth, therefore it wouldn't have been far for him to travel to Seaford. Equally, it could be a continental scene or even a northern English coast.
Bonhams sold a watercolour of Eastbourne at their Marine Sale on 15th September 2009 and the beach profile bears some resemblence to our etching. [2]
Wyllie's wife recalled: 'For the many etchings...every drawing was made from nature first, using nothing but black - not body colour, the lights just picked out. He was a rapid worker, and very accurate.' [1]
Medium: Etching on wove paper, signed in pencil l.l. 'W L WYLLIE', 28.2 x 47.2cm (etching size), framed.
Provenance: Messrs Dunthorne and Brown, Liverpool (label verso).
Bibliography:
[1] Roger Quarm and John Wyllie, 'W.L. Wyllie: Marine Artist, 1851-1931', Christ Beetles Ltd: 1981, p.70.
[2] W. L. Wyllie (1851-1931) 'Eastbourne', watercolour, 9.2 x 21.2cm. https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16837/lot/37/
Condition report: generally very good. There is a small foxing mark in the sky towards the top. The frame shows a small amount of wear. Please see photographs.