Thomas Whitcombe

Essay:

Described by Grant as "a noted marine painter" and "one of our standard painters of the sea", this prolific and dedicated marine artist produced a body of work that was on the borderline between marine paintings of ships and ship portraits. He became one of the well-known artists from the golden age of British marine painting, which included such others as Peter Monamy, Francis Holman, Nicholas Pocock and Thomas Luny.

Thomas Whitcombe's birth date in London is given as between 1752 and 1763, the latter date being generally accepted. Little is known of his background and training, apart from what can be deduced from the paintings he has left behind of many and varied locations.

In 1787 Whitcombe was in Bristol and he subsequently travelled to the South Coast. There are few ports or harbours from this region that did not provide the setting for a ship portrait or some exciting incident. In 1789 he was touring Wales and in 1813 he travelled to Devon painting scenes around Plymouth harbour. During his career he also painted scenes showing the Cape of Good Hope, Madeira, Cuba and the Horn.

The range of his work embraced naval engagements, ship portraits, coastal scenes with shipping and ships at sea in fresh breezes and storms. The topography of the background is interesting and well observed and the depiction of the ships themselves detailed and technically very correct, a legacy of time spent in dockyards studying the subject matter. The backgrounds are delightfully atmospheric and, like many British marine artists of the 18th and 19th century, Whitcombe favoured a dark foreground.

Whitcombe exhibited at the Royal Academy 56 times between 1783 and 1824 and once at the British Institute and the Royal Society of British Artists, respectively.

He lived in London during his exhibiting career at addresses in Covent Garden and Somers Town, among others. Titles of some of the works he exhibited include:" Destruction of the Spanish floating Batteries at Gibraltar, September 13, 1782 at Night"; "East Indiaman off the Coast of Good Hope"; "The Victory sailing out of Portsmouth Harbour" and "The Trinity Yacht with a View of the Light Houses on the Caskets".

Provenance:

Mrs E.M Gordon, Biddlesdon Park, Brackley, Northamptonshire;Sale, Christie's, London, 18th April 1986, lot 76;Private Collection, UK