Seascape at Sidmouth

Part of the framed works of art collection at the National Library of Wales, a collection comprising the works of artists such as J M W Turner, Richard Wilson, Thomas Gainsborough, Paul Sandby and James Ward in addition to works reflecting the native Welsh artistic tradition such as William Roos, Hugh Hughes and the Revd. Evan Williams. It also has modern masters including Sir Kyffin Williams, Will Roberts and Evan Walters. The National Library of Wales makes an effort to specifically collect those works relating to Wales.

This particular piece comes from the Sir Kyffin Williams bequest collection, bequeathed to the Library upon Kyffin's death in 2006. Painted in 1818, the date and title of the piece, 'Seascape at Sidmouth', are hand-written in ink, on a label affixed to the backing board, in the hand of K.W. 'Frances Lloyd (Mrs James Williams). It was is described in the bequest as 'fisherman and rock at Sidmouth', and shows fishermen hauling their boats to sea, with ships on the horizon and gulls flying overhead. To the right hand side of the painting is the silhouette of the English coastal line, and a striking rock-formation emerging from the waves.