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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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FISHING OFF THE ISLE OF WIGHT John James Wilson (1818-1875) “Fishing Boats off the Isle of Wight” Oil on canvas, signed and date 1854 61 x 110 cm. Exhibited: Either Royal Society of British Artists, London, 1854, no. 46 under the above title or Royal Academy, London, 1855, no. 475 as “Fresh Breeze – off the Isle of Wight”. This was either one J. J. Wilson’s six exhibited works shown at the Royal Society of British Artists, 1854 or his sole Royal Academy exhibit of 1855. During the 1850’s and ‘60’s Wilson painted a number of views off the coast and on the Isle of Wight, just south of the English mainland. This particular scene appears to be looking toward the Needles with the chalk cliffs extending to the town of Freshwater, to the east. It is typical of many of Wilson’s fresh and vibrant coastal scenes. As here the artist often showed fishing vessels on a choppy sea in the foreground and cliffs or possibly a headland, sometimes a lighthouse or jutting pier beyond - all crowned by a dramatic sky above. In many respects John James’ fresh palette, his careful observation of the sea and vessels as well as his dramatic effects of light are very similar in style to works by his father, John H., known as ‘Jock’ Wilson (1774-1855). The similarity between the father and son has at times led to confusion. It has also been suggested that J. J. Wilson may also have worked under the pseudonym of J Mundell since a number of coastal scenes signed with the latter’s name are extremely close in style with those by Jock Wilson. John James Wilson’s ability as a maritime artist owed much to the tuition and talent he received from his father, who was born and brought up in Scotland and is largely regarded as one of the finest Scottish marine painters of his era. Jock however began his career as a house painter and theatrical scene painter, whose work proved very influential and was admired by not least another scene painter, and rising marine artist, Clarkson Stanfield (1793-1867). John James was born in London at no 2 Pratt Street, Lambeth, the eldest of at least three children. His mother (née Williams) died in circa 1831 while John James was in his early teens and still living in London. The family moved several times to various London addresses around Lambeth, Camden Town and toward Hampstead, where John James and his brother William received a solid artistic grounding from their father. William later made a name as a landscape artist. Both talented and prolific, John James Wilson exhibited over 500 oils and watercolours in London. He made his debut in 1831 at the Royal Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street, where he showed some 384 works up until 1875. In 1845, he was elected a member of the Society, of which his father was a founding member and then served as President in 1827. From 1834 up until 1867, John James exhibited 61 pictures at the British Institution and in 1835, made his debut at the Royal Academy, where up until 1873, 55 of his paintings hung. Wilson also exhibited outside London, at the Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin 1842-58, the Royal Glasgow Institute in 1867 but more especially at the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh 1838-67 (where his ‘On the coast near Havre’, lent by John Christie Esq. was shown in 1880). In 1847/8, Wilson left London for the country, moving to Redhill in Surrey. His departure from the family home appears to have impacted upon his art since prior to this the majority of his exhibited paintings were rural views, typically of cattle in a landscape, farmyard scenes and rustic cottages or scenes around the British Isles especially in North Wales. However after about 1849 up until his death nearly all his exhibited works were maritime and coastal views. These included a number of scenes off the English mainland as well as views around the coast of Holland and northern France. By 1851, Wilson had moved from Redhill to Milton-on-Thames and the following year was at Gravesend in Kent. He then moved with his father to the Kentish seaside resort of Folkestone, south of Dover. Jock Wilson appears to have spent his remaining years at his son’s house at Briarly House, where he died in 1855. Though John James then moved several times, he too, remained in Folkestone where he died on 30th January 1875. Examples of his work can be found at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich and at Folkestone Art Gallery, who have acquired four of his oil paintings, namely ‘View off the Coast of Norway’, 1866; ‘Ships returning to harbour in a storm’, ‘A pastoral scene near Redhill’, circa 1870 and Folkestone from the East’ (bought in 1937 but now missing). |