This is a museum-quality watercolour by the much sought-after Victorian artist, James Cassie (RSA). There are other watercolours of this calibre in the collection of the National Gallery of Scotland.
The watercolour is a fine East Lothian seascape - which features a view of the Bass Rock. The choppy sea is beautifully rendered and reminds me a little of how William McTaggart painted the sea in his watercolours. The Rock is silhouetted against the pale sky - and tiny dots are added above to suggest little birds landing on their nesting sites. Seagulls swoop over the top of the waves looking for fish in the waters. His love of the sea is evident in his delicate watercolour which efficiently captures the pale of light on the sea. I have always found it to be a very peaceful and relaxing image.
The watercolour is in good condition with no spotting or fading - the muted tones are typical of Cassie's work. The watercolour measures 16 x 30 cm and is a sheet size that Cassie preferred for his watercolours. It comes in its original Victorian gilt frame (damage free) and with its original gold window mount with the artist's name applied neatly below the image.
The work is signed with his monogram lower left and the date 1870. To the right - it is inscribed with the title: The Bass Rock.
It comes from my own personal collection and I have owned it for almost 20 years. His work does not come onto the market very often these days and is keenly sought-after when it appears for sale.
BIOGRAPHY: James Casse was born in Inverurie in 1819. He was the son of a tea and spirit merchant, who later moved to Aberdeen in the 1820s. Cassie's love of the sea was fostered at an early age and he had aspirations of becoming a sailor. However, a childhood accident resulted in the loss of one of his limbs and this disability meant that his passion for the sea was diverted into his art where he endeavoured to capture the "breathe of the brine".
He was largely self-taught, although he did receive some instruction from fellow Aberdeen artist, James Giles.
At the start of this artistic career, Cassie concentrated on painting portraits and animal subjects. These works were a commercial success and gave him the financial freedom to paint his more personal landscape subjects. He delighted in depicting the sea and coastal scenes, especially at dawn and sunset. In 1869, for commercial reasons, he left Aberdeen and moved to Edinburgh, where he was awarded an Associateship at the Royal Scottish Academy, and was later elected a full Academician in 1878. Cassie was an enormously popular man and was celebrated for his wit and skill as a raconteur. He died in Edinburgh in 1879, aged 60.
It would have to be sent to you with Parcelforce24 and with insurance it is probably going to cost around £25 to send. We can also offer free delivery service in the central Scotland region.