Lot 127: A nineteenth century marine oil painting on canvas of a harbour scene 55x43cm frame 44x34cm picture

A nineteenth century marine oil painting on canvas, executed with thick impasto brushwork. The composition depicts a busy harbour scene under a cloudy sky, featuring a central steam-powered trawler with a dark green hull and a distinctive red and black funnel. To the left, several sailing vessels are moored near a shoreline with a town featuring a prominent square church tower. Smaller rowboats, one containing two figures, are visible in the foreground. The water is rendered with heavy, textured strokes of grey and white. In the lower-left corner, there is a dark painted mark consisting of four vertical characters; these marks are obscured by the heavy paint texture and are not legible as a name. The work is housed in a substantial gilt wood and gesso frame decorated with foliate scrolls and shell motifs at the corners.