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'St. Leonard's-on-Sea Looking East', Oil on Canvas by Thomas Ross, England, 1878

Offered by: Acroterion

Description
A wonderfully atmospheric and exquisitely painted oil on canvas late afternoon waterfront view of the English seaside resort town of St. Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex in 1878 by politician, author, and artist Thomas Ross (1810 - 1881) entitled "St. Leonard's-on-Sea Looking East". Depicting James Burton's villas along the marina looking from Bulverhythe at low tide; the foreground with a pair of seagulls hovering above boulders, ruined pier pilings, and beach strollers; to the left a locomotive steams past what appears to be a house fire billowing black smoke and to the right a pleasure boat near shore with steam and sailboats in the distance; initialed and dated lower right. Presented in a fine giltwood frame with description plaque at center bottom. Canvas measures 21.13" x 14". Provenance: Private New York collection, previously with The Parker Gallery, London.

Laid out as a purpose-built resort in 1826 by famous London developer James Burton, St Leonards-on-Sea quickly became a fashionable place to stay, hosting Princess Sophia of Gloucester in 1831, the future Queen Victoria and her mother, the Duchess of Kent, the winter of 1834-5, and Queen Adelaide in 1837.

Biography: Thomas Ross (1810 - 1881) - Five term mayor of Hastings, artist, author and illustrator of 13 guide books to Hastings & St Leonards published between 1835 and 1863, the early editions printed by him at his premises of 6 Castle Street, in addition to publishing a later volume of engravings entitled “17 Views of Hastings and its Environs” based on his own drawings, and an important volume of 10 lithographs entitled “Ross’s Views of Hastings and St. Leonards” circa 1845. He married the daughter of a London builder in 1843 and had one son, Thomas, with whom he was recorded as living with at Tudor House, St. Helen's Road by 1881.

More Information

Origin:	England
Period:	19th Century
Materials:	Oil on canvas, giltwood, wood
Condition:	Good. Wear commensurate with age and use. Wear to giltwood frame, presents beautifully. Seller Location: Kinderhook, NY Reference Number: 1stDibs: LU1002138542352 View Invoice
Creation Date:	1878
Styles / Movements:	Traditional
Incollect Reference #:	703384

Dimensions

W.	24 in;	H.	16.75 in;	D.	2 in;
W.	60.96 cm;	H.	42.55 cm;	D.	5.08 cm;

Message from Seller:

Acroterion, the company, founded in late 2012, is by appointment in the historic Hudson Valley of upstate New York specializing in exceptional fine and decorative art from eastern to western, ancient to current; with a focus on the unique and timeless. The curated inventory is ever-changing and discriminately chosen by the founder and owner Randal Dawkins. Having a passion for fine objects and design from an early age, Mr. Dawkins graduated in 2004 from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London.