Dead Calm - Sunset at the Bight of Exmouth

Danby was interested in the special effects of nature and the poetic moods of landscape. The central tower was a pumping station on Brunel’s atmospheric railway -a short lived project which propelled trains by atmospheric pressure rather than steam power.

Born in Ireland in 1793, Danby practiced drawing at the Royal Dublin Society's schools. He was successful in his career as a painter, some of which was spent as a member of the Bristol School of Artists, leading him to become an Associate Member of the Royal Academy. In his later years, Danby moved to Exmouth where he died in 1861.