Lot 83: Signed JFS (Late 19th/Early 20th Century), Maritime Harbour Scene with Figures and Shipping

An oil on board maritime scene depicting a busy industrial harbour, likely of British or Northern European origin from the late 19th or early 20th century. The composition is centred on a prominent square stone tower overlooking a pier where several vessels are moored, including a masted sailing ship and a steamship emitting a plume of dark smoke. A solitary figure in dark attire leans against a foreground railing in the lower left. The work is executed in an impressionistic style with a somber, tonalist palette of ochres, greys, and browns, featuring rapid, textured brushwork and visible impasto in the highlights. Signed J.F.S to the lower left corner.