Edward William Cooke RA (1811-1880) - Dutch Barges on an estuary
Edward William Cooke had a great interest in Dutch scenes and this work very likely depicts a Dutch Barge (Schuyt) in an estuary just off the coast. Cooke has dated this work November 1875 and we know he was in England during this period thanks to his extensive itinerary notes. [1] The closeness of the windmill to the water, the composition being a flat landscape and the inclusion of Dutch barges, suggests the artist worked up a drawing from a previous Dutch tour to complete this watercolour. It is highly finished and is a great late example of the artist's skill as a watercolourist.
Cooke depicted many Dutch Barges in his career and a great example showing how similar the ones in our watercolour are to known works is an oil held at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. [2] It also has windmills in the background which corresponds to this watercolour. The church on the left of our composition is distinct and could help in identifying the exact location. There may also be a sketch drawing by Cooke that comes to light.
This watercolour has an interesting J & W Vokins dealer stamp verso. It has their Great Portland Street address which denotes that the frame is from between 1859-1896. Since the watercolour is dated 1875 it may have been with the dealers not long after it was painted. There is also a Christie's stencil verso.
Medium: watercolour on paper, signed and dated l.r. 'EW COOKE RA NOV 75', 16.6 x 28.3cm, mounted (35.8 x 47cm).
Provenance: J & W Vokins, Great Portland Street, London (stamp verso); Christie's stencil '15SEA' verso).
Literature:
[1] John Munday. E.W. Cooke 1811-1880: A man of his time, London: 1996, p.373.
[2] Edward William Cooke (1811-1880) 'Dutch Barges near a Beach', oil on canvas, National Maritime Museum Greenwich, Ascension number: BHC1251.
Condition report: generally good for its age. There is some time staining which is most obvious in the clouds but it is difficult to tell whether the artist meant this effect in some places. The frame shows wear and is likely the original from the 19th century. Please see photos.