Marrin's Bookshop

Item Description

Pen and sepia ink wash drawing on paper, 4.5 x 7.25 inches, laid on to card, mounted, framed in gilt and glazed, overall 10 x 12.5 inches. It depicts a larger sailing vessel approaching Folkestone Harbour in company with several smaller ones, including fishing boats. At this time the work was in progress to extend the South Quay and to construct the Railway Pier. Two horse drawn wagons are seen waiting with their carters in attendance. Moses made the sketch on 25 August, a few weeks after the inauguration of the first crossing from Boulogne to Folkestone on 1st August. Some light browning follows the principal pen strokes without detracting from the execution. Henry Moses (1781-1870) was highly regarded as a draughtsman and engraver and was known for, among many other works, several series of views of shipping, and a few coastal views. It is not clear how his marine interest developed but he used outline engraving to great effect in capturing maritime life and activities in his Sketches of Shipping (1824), where accurately drawn ships are set in suitable port landscapes. Similarly his Picturesque Views of Ramsgate (1817) includes busily populated images of ships in harbour. This drawing is beautifully executed and highly detailed - the wash achieving great depth - and reflects the crispness and clarity of his engravings. This is one of a number of similar drawings of the Folkestone area by Moses purchased by us