The drawing, executed in charoal and white chalk on 19th century paper, depicts a coastal landscape, showing ships outside the coast of Tarragona (see note by the artist right below).
TARRAGONA : Tarragona is a port city in northeastern Spain’s Catalonia
region. Many ancient ruins remain from its time as the Roman colony of
Tarraco.
Authorship : the drawing is from the Belgian Romantic School, signe right below "P J Clays". This is the signature of Paul Jean Clays.
PAUL JEAN CLAYS (Antwerp 1819 - Brussels 1900) : Painter, draughtsman of the Belgian School. As a marine artist he excelled in creating colorist harmonies and personal interpretations that were gleaned from his experience aboard many ships as a young man.
Forging a new direction in marine art, he broke away from Romantic peroccupation with tormented sky and tempestuous weather depciting, instead of the calm nature of the sea.
His early work was influenced by Realims before stablishing his own style more fully.
Still a young man, Clays leftwhat had become his inspiration, the sea, and moved to Paris in search of official artistic training. He studied under Horace Vernet, not a great succes.
Instead of remainign with Vernet, he entered the atelier Suisse, a popular atelier for many aspiring artists where one concentrated most heavily on figure drawing. He also worked in the countryside around Paris. The Barbizon School and the interest in landscape painting in France at this time was an influence over his thematic choices.
He remained at the epicentre of the art world for a very short time seen his interest in ships and marine paintings. He decided to return to his home country and settled in Brussels where he entered the studio of the celebrated marine painter Jean-Antoine Théodore Gudin. But soon he realised that the Gudin type fo typical approach of the sea did not suit his style. From this time he established a strong relationship with the banks of the Schelde estuary and the area near Dordrecht.
Clays first registered exhibition took place in Brussels in 1851, where he earned a gold medal. He also maintained his ties with the Parisian art world by participating on a regular base at the annual Salon, in addition to those in Antwerp. His debute at the Paris Salon is registered in 1855.
Clays was the most succefull maringe painter of his time.
Period : ca. 1840 (we situate this drawing in the years Clays was still a sailor).
Size : 24,2x39cm.