Richard Parkes Bonington

Probably 'The Bonington' sale, London, Christie's, 23-24 May 1834 as 'View on the Coast near Boulogne with figures raising stone', bt. Laneuville;

Sale, London, Christie's, 8 July 1986, lot 34,

Where acquired by the father of the present owner

P. Noon, Richard Parkes Bonington, the complete paintings, New Haven 2008, p. 93, no. 22

In late 1821, having escaped the rather stifling atmosphere of Baron Gros’ studio, Bonington decided to go to the Normandy coast. As well as visiting Tourville, Ouistreham, Honfleur, Dives and Beauvais, he also painted on the beach at Cap Gris Nez - the likely location of the present work.

Aside from this sepia drawing, which Patrick Noon dates to 1822, a second sepia of this stretch of coastline survives in a private collection. That work is taken from the same view-point but Bonington has altered the positions of the figures.¹

Since the publication of his catalogue raisonné in 2008, Patrick Noon’s ongoing research has indicated that the present work is highly likely to have been included in the ‘Bonington’ sale at Christie’s in 1836; a possible provenance that he had previously attached to the above-mentioned watercolour.

¹ P. Noon, op. cit., p. 93, no. 21