c1866 George Henry Jenkins Watercolour Plymouth Mount Batten

An attractive Victorian signed watercolour painting on card of Plymouth fishing boats on the Cattewater, with Mountbatten Fort in the background.

This painting is quite an early attempt to capture the hazy light on the stretch of water by Plymouth, with a number of fishing smacks sailing in a gentle breeze. In the background is Mount Batten point, with the single fort tower. Behind it are the cottages of Turnchapel. The low cliffs in the distance form the Eastern barrier to Plymouth Sound. The artist has added a small amount of oil paint, particularly to the sails of the boats, to increase the contrast in the painting. The painting, which is nicely mounted, framed and glazed, is by the acclaimed West Country artist George Henry Jenkins. It is not signed, nor dated, but has a small piece of card on the reverse with: ‘1866 The Cattwater Plymouth. G.H. Jenkins’, as well as being written on the inside. Most of his paintings of Devon and Cornwall date from 1870 and 1890. Condition is good.

G. H. Jenkins (1838 - 1914) painted throughout Devon and Cornwall in both oil and watercolour. He is reported as an active artist between 1870 and 1910. From 1873 to 1880 he lived at 10 Saltram Terrace, Plympton, Devon near Plymouth. He also exhibited work painted in North Wales.

He exhibited at the Society of Western Artists, Plymouth Arts Club and at the RWA in Bristol. He showed a total of 20 works at the RWA between 1892 and 1895 at the Annual Winter Exhibitions, subjects included On the Lledr, North Wales and in 1892 King Arthur's Castle, Tintagel. He did not appear to exhibit in London, but did show Trawlers entering Plymouth Sound at the Dore Gallery in an exhibition of West country artists c.1900. He also exhibited two Dartmoor views at the Elands Gallery in Exeter in 1907.

Size: 34 x 24 cm (13 3/8 x 9 ½ inches)
Size frame: 58 x 49.5 x 2.5 cm (22 ¾ x 19 ½ x 1 inches)
Weight: 2050 g