Richard Parkes Bonington

Anonymous sale, Sotheby's London, 14 July 1988, lot 102

New Haven, Paul Mellon Center for British Art and Paris, Petit Palais, Richard Parkes Bonington 'On the Pleasure of Painting', 1991-1992, p. 83, no. 1

P. Noon, Richard Parkes Bonington: The Complete Paintings, 2008, p. 83, no. 1

This watercolour has been very well preserved. The colour tones are only very slightly faded. The sheet has not been laid down. For further information regarding this lot please contact Mark Griffith-Jones (0207 293 5083) or Emmeline Hallmark (0207 293 5407) mark.griffithjones@sothebys.com emmeline.hallmark@sothebys.com
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In the 1991 exhibition catalogue Patrick Noon described the present work by Bonington as 'a rare survival of an unfaded early sheet.'  Painted soon after the artist's arrival in France in the autumn of 1817, the watercolour illustrates the small port of Boulogne in Normandy. Bonington's contemporaries noted the dramatic change that the port had undertaken during Napoleon's reign, the Duke of Rutland in particular remarked in 1815 that 'it is surprising, when it is considered that what was formerly a simple and contemptible inlet.... is now an excellent harbour... capable of containing three hundred vessels.' [1]

Bonington was only fifteen years old when he executed this watercolour. He was clearly delighted by the challenge presented by the intricate shapes of the boats, with their elegant rigging. He expertly also captures the warm, subtle light which suffuses this landscape. It appears that the initials visible at the lower right were later added by another hand.

[1] The Duke of Rutland, Journal of a short trip to Paris during the summer of 1815, 1815, p. 7