This is another sought-after etching & drypoint by the celebrated marine artist, William Lionel Wyllie.
This fine, carefully observed etching shows a view of a regatta at Oban on the West Coast of Scotland. It dates to 1921 and is a harder-to-source work by Wyllie.
Sailing regattas at Oban have a long history dating back to early Victorian times. In 1882 when the newly formed Royal Highland Yacht Club held its first regatta in Oban, and this event continues to this day as part of the West Highland Yachting Week. In addition to yacht racing, the event included rowing races and ended with a ‘Duck Hunt’ – which seems to have been some sort of pursuit race! Wyllie has taken great delight in depicting the little row boats in from of the yachts in the distance. The event was a most dazzling one with yacht owners and their guests in full Highland dress attending a glorious Highland Ball in the evening.
It is another subtle panoramic view of Oban from the sea by Wyllie. There are four sailing boats to the right hand side - and I just love all the little men in rowing boats bobbing about on the waves.
Wyllie was born in London in 1851. He studied at the Royal Academy Schools (1866-69), where he won the Turner Medal in his final year. He worked as a marine illustrator for the Graphic between 1870 and 1890.
Wyllie was Marine Painter to the Royal Yacht Squadron and the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, and did much work, including posters, for the Orient Company, the White Star Line and the Union-Castle Line.
Between 1924 and 1930 he worked on a fabulous panoramic oil painting depicting the Battle of Trafalgar for the Victory Museum, Portsmouth.
Wyllie had a historic connection with Scottish marine and naval activities. During the Great War, he was allowed access to cruise in His Majesty’s ships, and in the North Sea, Harwich, Rosyth, Cromarty, and Scapa Flow, he made hundreds of naval studies. He saw the German Fleet surrender in the Forth and went with the last convoy of battleships to Scapa Flow. Later he made a sketching expedition to Northumberland and the East Coast of Scotland. This resulted in Wyllie's two series of drypoints which he published-for private circulation only. These were fully subscribed for, are now out of print and the plates destroyed,
It is NOT a reproduction but an original pencil signed drypoint etching.
As you can see from all my images - it is really a fine clean impression. The details are just exquisite and it is certainly an impression of museum quality.
It is in very good condition with no foxing or marks on the sheet. It is beautifully presented with new window mount. It is not framed but just with the new mount as photographed. I have reduced the price from £395 to £375 to allow you to put this to a new frame.
Dimensions: Mount size is 28.5 x 49 cm. Image size is 16 x 37.5 cm
We will cost postage in the UK at £11.75 with Special Next Day Delivery post with the Royal Mail. This will be applied to your order at the checkout.