Fred Williamson, Fishing Boats and Fishermen on Beer Beach, East Devon, 1870, Watercolour, Framed

Frederick Williamson.
English ( b.1835 - d.1900 ).
Fishing Boats & Fishermen On Beer Beach, East Devon.
Watercolour.
Signed Lower Right.
Image size 5.9 inches x 8.9 inches ( 15cm x 22.5cm ).
Frame size 11.8 inches x 15.2 inches ( 30cm x 38.5cm ).

This fine original painting is by Frederick “Fred” Williamson and dates from around 1870.
The watercolour is presented and supplied in a sympathetic contemporary frame (which is shown in these photographs), mounted using conservation materials and behind non-reflective Tru Vue UltraVue® UV70 glass.
This antique painting is in very good condition, commensurate with its age. It wants for nothing and is ready to hang and display.
The watercolour is signed lower right.
Previously with Foord & Dickinson of 129 Wardour Street, W. London.

Frederick Williamson was an English artist who lived in London and Godalming in Surrey. He worked in both oil and watercolour and specialised in landscapes, often with cattle or sheep. Most of his work shows scenes from the south of England, including the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall. He also worked in Wales and Scotland, always taking nature as his inspiration.

His early work is detailed in a Pre-Raphaelite manner and all of his work demonstrates a meticulous technique. Williamson produced most of his works between 1864-1900 and they were exhibited extensively at the Royal Academy, the British Institution, the Scottish Society, the National Watercolour Society and Glasgow Gallery. Today examples of works by this artist can be found at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the Sydney Museum.



This fine original watercolour by English artist Frederick Williamson depicts a scene on Beer beach in East Devon, UK. Beer is on the east coast of Devon, and part of the ancient Jurassic coastline. The painting is created from a subtle yet varied palette and focuses on a medium sized fishing vessel on the water’s edge. The vessel has two masts, each with a brown sail hanging down, one strapped to its mast. There is one fisherman on board the vessel and another on the beach, both apparently working on its nets. Two more reddish coloured sails are propped up against the end of the boar, with other sailing equipment laid out neatly on the sand. Two other figures, probably young boys, are sitting on the beach, looking towards two others similar vessels, which lie in the calm waters immediately off the beach. There are half a dozen lobster pots on the beach, in the foreground of the painting, and two or three smaller vessels to the far right. The weather is dry and sunny, and the sea is extremely calm, enabling the fishermen to go about their routine works unhindered. In the background the white cliffs of Beer rise up from the sea, and the sky above is pale blue with white fluffy clouds. The overall scene is one of quiet activity carried out in peace against a stunning natural backdrop. The painting bears the hallmark of Williamson’s careful attention to detail and ability to capture the mood of a moment.