Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are offering for sale this very well executed Marine Oil Painting on canvas by the artist Paul Richardson, who has signed the painting in the lower right hand corner. The painting depicts a Thames Sailing Barge heeling slightly before the wind, with its red ochre coloured sails filled.

A Thames sailing barge is a type of commercial sailing boat once common on the River Thames in London. The flat-bottomed barges with a shallow draught and leeboards, were perfectly adapted to the Thames Estuary, with its shallow waters and narrow tributary rivers. The larger barges were seaworthy vessels, and were the largest sailing vessel to be handled by just two men. The average size was about 120 tons and they carried 4,200 square feet (390 m2) of canvas sail in six working sails. The mainsail was loose-footed and set up with a sprit, and was brailed to the mast when not needed. It is sheeted to a horse, as is the foresail they require no attention when tacking. The foresail is often held back by the mate to help the vessel come about more swiftly. Both the leeboards and the shape of the barge came from the Dutch barges.

A leeboard is a form of pivoting keel used by a sailboat largely and very often in lieu of a fixed keel. Typically mounted in pairs on each side of a hull, leeboards function much like a centreboard, allowing shallow-draft craft to ply waters fixed keel boats cannot. Only the leeward side leeboard is used at any time, as it submerges when the boat heels under the force of the wind.

We have been able to find little information about Paul Richardson, except from another gallery, but we have no way of verifying their biography.

It states that Paul Richardson was born in Chelmsford, Essex in 1943. He attended Hornsey College of Art in 1959 and trained as a fasion designer, while furthering his interest in painting. In 1964 he married and moved to Newlyn in Cornwall, where he developed a great love of the sea and all things marine. He then moved to Buckinghamshire and now paints landscapes. He has exhibited in the proinces and has paintings in many private collections.

The painting is frames in a gilt frame and inner off white slip with gilt inner edge. It will be supplied wired with new brass hangers, new brass picture wire and will be ready to hang.

Image size: 29 1/2 x 23 1/2 inches - 75cm x 59.7cm

Frame size: 35 1/8 x 29 1/8" - 89.2cm x 74cm

Medium: Oils on canvas

Condition: Very good. There are no repairs to the canvas, which is clean and taut. The frame and slip are in very good condition.