Lot 1227: William Roxby Beverley (Richmond 1811-1889 Hampstead)

William Roxby Beverley (Richmond 1811-1889 Hampstead)
Scarborough Castle and harbour
pencil and watercolour heightened with touches of bodycolour and with scratching out, unframed
10 7/8 x 16 3/8 in. (27.7 x 41.6 cm.)

Possibly London, Royal Academy, 1869, no. 553 as 'Scarborough Castle'.

H. Mallalieu, The Dictionary of British Watercolour Artists up to 1920, Volume 2, The Plates, 1979, p. 311, as 'Dover Castle'.

with Martyn Gregory, London.
Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, 20 November 1986, lot 158.
Private Collector, East Anglia.
Anonymous sale; Bonham's, Leeds, 8 November 2006, lot 151, where purchased by the present owner.

WILLIAM ROXBY BEVERLEY (1811-1889)
Lots 1227-1233

Beverley was descended from one of the oldest theatrical families in the North of England, and at the start of his career it was as a painter of scenery in the theatres of London that he was introduced to landscape painting, becoming one of the finest scenery painters of his time. Through this beginning, Beverley developed his own style on a smaller scale, influenced firstly by Clarkson Stanfield, who had also started out as a scene-painter (1793-1867, see lots 1197 and 1230) with whom he went on sketching tours, and secondly by Bonington (1802-1828), from whom he drew inspiration for subject matter and technique.

Beverley began exhibiting landscape watercolours infrequently from 1831 onwards, but then regularly at the Royal Academy between 1865 and 1880. His subject matter includes views in and around London and the Thames, but focuses largely on the British coastline. He was particularly fond of depicting fishing communities, recognising their importance to the country's way of life. Scarborough, in north-east Yorkshire, was a particularly favoured location, with the impressive castle overlooking the expansive beach. Through his mastery of the medium and its potential, Beverley created a diverse range of subjects, from the tempestuousness of a raging storm out at sea as the boats battle against the elements conditions, to the lazy glow of evening light as the fishermen stow away their nets after a long day's work.

For another watercolour by Beverley of Scarborough see lot 1226.