ROYAL OCCASIONS
Fresh Winds
Reproduced in b/w in The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy, 1995, ed J.R.Hill, p.82.
This painting is unattributed; with photograph credited to the NMM. The caption reads:
"A royal yacht with a fleet getting under way in a breeze. Under naval protection, William III, George I and George II each crossed the channel several times to visit the Continent."Not having come across this painting previously, it was a pleasure to discover it in the paperback edition of the Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy, 2002. Solely on the basis of the book reproduction I have little hesitation in believing it to be an excellent Monamy from his middle period, say 1722-1734. Compare the large vessel, right, with his East Indiaman. The yacht, particularly the rendering of its wake in the water, and the ships in the middle distance, are also familiar from other works. The striking composition looks original.
Part of the vitality of both paintings lies in having the main ship seem to leave the frame, almost in anticipation of 20th century film technique. Preposterous?
|
