Folkestone Pier. Outside. Sept. 2.1844
£300.00
Date
1844
Item Description
Pen and sepia ink wash drawing on paper, 4.5 x 7.25 inches, laid on to card, mounted, framed in reeded half-round gilt and glazed, overall 10.5 x 13 inches. A flag-bedecked paddle steamer is berthed at newly extended South Quay (with its signal station on the Horn) and several coastal sailing vessels are moored at the breakwater. This sketch is dated 2 September 1844, just over a year after the inauguration of the first crossings between Boulogne and Folkestone on 1st August 1843. 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
[Stock No. 27623]
