William Lionel Wyllie (English 1851–1931)

Artist: William Lionel Wyllie (English 1851–1931).
Signed and Dated W L Wyllie 1880.
Title: Steam Ships on the Thames.
Medium: Oil on canvas.
Framed Size: Height 42.5 cm x Width 63.5 cm x Depth 5 cm.
Image Size: Height cm x Width cm.
Condition: The painting is in very good condition and has recently undergone a conservation inspection and subsequently had a minor surface clean and new varnish applied. The frame is of the period and in good condition with some minor marks.
Provenance: Private Collection Sydney Australia.

About: Steamships were a staple of Wyllie's compositions, often combining them with sailing boats. Not only referencing his own love and admiration of sailing but also referencing the development of the Industrial Revolution. Compositions are generally either set at sea or on the Thames River system. Many of Wyllie's works make reference to the paintings of significant maritime artists before him, namely Turner and Thomas Whitcombe. Art historians have referenced Wyllie as "The most distinguished marine artist of his day."

Wyllie commenced his early education at The Heatherley School of Fine Art, and then in 1866, aged 15, at the Royal Academy Schools. He studied at the Royal Academy under the guise of Edwin Henry Landseer, Frederic Leighton and John Everett Millais among others. Wyllie was recognised for his artistic talent and admiration of maritime subjects when he was awarded the Turner Gold Medal in 1869.

William Lionel Wyllie's works are held in high regard amongst historians and collectors alike, with a broad sense of artistic appeal, undeniable academic skill and the ability to engage such a diverse audience with a singular subject matter, being Maritime Art. William Lionel Wyllie is held in both private and institutional collections worldwide, with significant pieces being held in the inventory of The Tate Gallery London, The Royal Academy London, The Imperial War Museum London, The National Maritime Museum London, The National Museum of the Royal Navy, The Art Gallery of New South Wales and the National Gallery of Victoria to name a few.