John Constable, R.A.

With M. Bernard, London, by 1961

The pencil has remained well preserved in this rare work. The sheet has discoloured somewhat, due to exposure to light. There is a thin brown mount stain at the extreme edges of the paper, associated with the current acidic mount. The discolouration is particularly evidence in the centre of the composition. In our opinion a professional conservator could remove this staining. There is a very small area of paper loss located at the extreme lower right hand edge of the sheet. This is currently hidden under the mount. The sheet has not been laid down, but is instead attached to a back board at two points verso.
"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."

Constable created the present drawing in the spring of 1803 while on board the East Indianman Coutts. The ship's captain was Robin Torin (1760-1824), an old friend of Constable's father, and perhaps because of this the young artist was allowed to spend nearly a month, between late April and the middle of May, on-board.

The Coutts sailed down the Thames to Gravesend, whereupon Constable took the opportunity to walk to Rochester Castle. He then travelled onto Chatham, where he recorded in a letter to his friend John Dunthorne (1770-1844) that he 'hired a boat to see the men-of-war, which are here in great numbers'.¹ He created numerous drawings of these vessels, many of which have been preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.² Amongst the most important sheets executed at this time, were three studies of the Nelson's Victory. These were sold at Sotheby's on 19^th March 2003 as lots 138-140 and achieved £40,800, £216,160 and £95,200 respectively.

By the 30^th April Constable had returned to the Coutts at Gravesend. The voyage continued and they sailed on past the Kentish Downs. At this point the weather turned stormy and the ship was forced to shelter for three days at North Foreland. Once they reached Deal, Constable, who was unsettled by the heavy seas, rapidly disembarked and headed straight for London.

Although the identity of the three ships in the present drawing has not been confirmed, stylistically this sheet can be directly compared with those mentioned above. The drawings each share a lightness of touch and an economy of line. The boats are described with a combination of rapidly applied dots, dashes and long sweeps of the pencil. This technique is reminiscent of Willem Van de Velde (1611-1693), who Constable greatly admired, but it also hints at the impressionist ideas that Constable was to develop in the 1830s. 

We would like to thank Peter Bower for his assistance in cataloguing this work.

1. Ed. R.B. Beckett, John Constable's Correspondence: Early Friends and Maria Bicknell, vol. II, Ipswich 1964, pp. 33-5
2. G. Reynolds, The Early Paintings and Drawings of John Constable, Yale 1996, no. 03.08, 03.11-22