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Priory Fine Art

A First Rate Ship of the Line Firing Cannon off the Coast

Original Oil Painting on Canvas c.1790

by Thomas Luny (1759-1837)

  • Auction Record - $150,000 USD
  • Signed lower left
  • Painting - 36cm (14") x 30.5cm (12")
  • Frame - 52cm (20 1/2") x 47cm (18 1/2")

Lot Notes

An incredibly fine oil painting on canvas depicting a Trafalgar period first-rater by highly regarded marine artist Thomas Luny.  The ship in the foreground is firing it's cannon, presumably saluting the arrival of a further ship heading in, the scene contains a good deal of activity with numerous figures and small rowing boats and with a highly detailed depiction of the first-rater in the foreground.  The painting is a very fine early example of the work of this well known marine painter; it is a good size and has a strong and detailed composition.  The painting dates to the early 1790's when Luny was working in the Deptford area and is a very fine example of his early work.  The painting is signed lower left, the paint around the signature is thin and the signature is somewhat indistinct however it can be made out on close inspection.   Luny's best work sells for up to £72,500 at auction and comparable paintings have sold in recent years for in excess of £20,000.  Probably one of the most important paintings currently being offered for sale on eBay.

Luny's work realises many thousands of pounds at auction, please see the photograph section of this listing for recent examples.

Condition

The painting remains in very fine condition, the canvas lined in the mid/late 20th century and not subsequently torn patched or repaired.  There are light accretions of dirt and grime, fine craquelure in certain passages and the paint layer thinning in places though with generally good impasto.  Examination under ultra violet reveals extensive overpainting to the sky in the upper fifth of the painting however all of the detail of the painting is original and restorations are confined to the background.  Overall the painting is in good condition, attractive and ready to hang.  The painting is presented in a later giltwood frame which is in good condition though with imperfections.

Artist Information

Thomas Luny, born in Cornwall, probably at St Ewe, was an English artist and painter, mostly of seascapes and other marine-based works. At the age of eleven, Luny left Cornwall to live in London. There he became the apprentice of Francis Holman, a marine painter who would have a great and long lasting artistic influence on Luny: Luny remained until 1780 in Holman's London studio, which, was first situated in Broad Street, St. George’s, and later relocated to Old Gravel Lane.  In September 1777, Luny left Holman's studio for a while, to journey to France. During this particular expedition, Luny almost certainly strayed from France itself; his first exhibited picture in London, seen at the Society of Artists that same year, was given the title A distant view of the island of Madeira and Porto Santo, suggesting that an engraving had inspired his choice of subject. Similarly, it is unlikely that Luny was on hand for the Battle of the Nile, 1798, and the bombardment of Algiers, 1816, both of which he illustrated with dramatic atmosphere and credible realism.  After leaving Holman's studio in 1780, Luny moved to Leadenhall Street during 1783. It was around this time that Luny was frequently exhibiting at the Royal Academy, in a total of twenty-nine exhibitions between 1780 and 1802. In Leadenhall Street, Luny became acquainted with a "Mr. Merle", a dealer and framer of paintings who promoted Luny's paintings for over twenty years, to great success. Luny also found a wealthy source of business in Leadenhall Street, where the British East India Company had their headquarters; their officers commissioned many paintings and portraits from Luny. This relationship between the Company and Luny also had several non-monetary benefits for Luny; it seems probable that, considering the great detail and realistic look of many of his sketches of locations such as Naples, Gibraltar, and Charleston, South Carolina, Luny was occasionally invited as a guest on the Company's ships on special occasions and voyages.  Several years later, in 1807, Luny decided to move again, this time to Teignmouth in Devon. While he received a number of commissions (mostly from ex-mariners, local gentry and the like), and he seemed to be as successful in his work as he was in London, Luny was by that time suffering with arthritis in both of his hands. This, however, did not seem to have much impact on the quality of his artistic work, and it did not appear to serve to slow or deter him in his work in the slightest. In fact, he continued painting until his death on September 30, 1837. His work is exhibited at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, and in the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter. It is estimated that he produced over 3,000 works in his lifetime, with over 2,200 between 1807 and his death.

General Information

Hang your investments on the wall

Art has long been regarded as a strong and safe investment. Ellen Kelleher a personal finance reporter for The Financial Times recently wrote an article recommending art, particularly in the $500 - $50,000 range as a sound long term investment with an impressive current average annual increase of 9.7 percent. See Hang your investments on the wall by Ellen Kelleher Published October 22 2010 by the Financial Times.

About Us

Priory Fine Art specialises in high quality 17th - 20th Century British and European Fine Art. Our team have a combined experience of over 80 years in the field of fine art and have together handled the sale of many millions of pounds worth of art. As well as our own team of specialists we have close contacts from the leading auction houses who often assist us with particular pieces.

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All of our paintings are professionally packaged in rigid hardboard boxes to ensure they reach you in pristine condition. Orders to the UK mainland are sent using a fully insured overnight courier service, orders to the rest of the World are sent on prompt and insured signed for services and are usually delivered within three working days.

Certificate of Authenticity

Every item we sell is fully guaranteed to be as described and a signed photo certificate is issued with every painting. We use the same cataloguing terms as most major auction houses, the terms that appear in the listing are also used on the certificates of authenticity. The cataloguing terms that we use have the following meanings;

  1. where the bold coloured text which forms the listing's heading reads 'by' and is followed by the artist's full name (or the artist's initials, if his full name is unrecorded), the work is in our opinion by the artist;
  2. where the expression "attributed to" is used, the work is in our opinion possibly a work by the artist, in whole or in part;
  3. where the expression 'circle of' is used, the work is in our opinion a work of the period of the artist and showing his influence;
  4. where the expression 'follower of' is used, the work is in our opinion a work executed in the artist's style but not necessarily by a pupil;
  5. where the expression 'manner of' is used, the work is in our opinion a work executed in the artist's style but of a later date;
  6. where the term "after" is used, the work is in our opinion a copy or pastiche (of any date) of a work by the artist. Where the term 'signed...' is used in our opinion the work has been signed by the artist, where the term 'with signature...' or 'bears signature...' is used in our opinion the signature is by a hand other than that of the artist.

Our guarantee

Every item we sell is covered by a no quibble 14 day money back guarantee.

In addition every lot which is described as being 'by' a certain artist without qualification is warranted by Priory Fine Art Limited for a period of one year. All items are warranted by Priory Fine Art Limited for a period of one year in respect of age and medium (for details see return section below.)


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About Priory Fine Art

Priory Fine Art specialises in 17th - 20th Century British and European Fine Art. Our team have a combined experience of over 80 years in the field of fine art. We issue a certificate of authenticity with every painting that we sell.

We aim to provide a first class service with a personal touch, if you would like to discuss any painting we have for sale please call us on 01636 830 824.


Returns policy

All items are covered by a no quibble 14 day money back guarantee.

In addition Priory Fine Art Limited warrants for a period of one year from the date of sale that where the larger white text which forms a listing's heading states without qualification that a work is by a named author that that item is an autograph work by that author and not a forgery or reproduction of any kind.

Where any representations regarding age, authorship, culture, date, origin, period, source or medium is made in the larger white text which forms a listing's heading this is also warranted by Priory Fine Art Limited for a period of one year from the date of sale.

Only the larger white text that forms a listing's heading indicates what is being warranted by Priory Fine Art Limited. Priory Fine Art Limited's warranty does not apply to supplemental material that appears below the larger white text (i.e. the smaller text which forms the main body of each listing) and Priory Fine Art Limited is not responsible for errors or omissions in such material.

The warranty does not apply to any heading which is stated to be a qualified opinion. The warrant is not assignable and shall apply only to the original buyer of the lot as shown on the original invoice issued by Priory Fine Art Limited when the lot was sold. The buyer's sold and exclusive remedy is the cancellation of the sale and the refund of the original purchase price paid for the lot.


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