Oil Painting Windermere Ascendancy — Fairline Squadron 50 Yacht By Edward Hersey

Edward Hersey (British, b. 1948)
Motor Yacht off the Coast, circa Late 20th Century

Signed Oil on Canvas | Fairline Squadron 50 Yacht Portrait

Highlights

• Original signed oil painting by British artist Edward Hersey.
• An unusual marine subject by an artist best known for British rural landscapes.
• Depicts a substantial flybridge motor yacht cruising in calm coastal waters.
• The vessel corresponds closely to a late-1990s Fairline Squadron 50.
• Signed by Edward Hersey to the lower right.
• Large panoramic canvas measuring 91.5 cm wide.
• Acquired through Toovey’s, Washington, West Sussex.
• Recently presented in a premium Larson-Juhl gilt moulded frame.
• Privately exhibited in Power & Prestige: Modern Marine Icons of the Late 20th Century.
• An impressive statement painting for maritime, yachting and contemporary interiors.

Introduction

A substantial late 20th-century marine oil painting by British artist Edward Hersey, depicting a modern flybridge motor yacht cruising confidently across calm coastal water.

Signed to the lower right, the work was catalogued by Toovey’s as Motor Cruise Boat off the Coast. The depicted vessel corresponds closely in profile and design to a Fairline Squadron 50 of the 1990s, although its precise model has not been independently confirmed.

Hersey’s meticulous attention to structure, light and atmosphere—qualities more commonly encountered within his celebrated rural landscapes—is here applied to a contemporary marine subject of unusual scale and visual presence.

Catalogue Details

Artist: Edward Hersey (British, b. 1948)

Title: Motor Yacht off the Coast

Alternative market title: Windermere Ascendancy

Date: Late 20th century, probably circa late 1990s

Medium: Oil on canvas

Subject: Modern flybridge motor yacht

Proposed vessel identification: Fairline Squadron 50 or a closely related Fairline model

Location: Coastal waters; precise location unconfirmed

Signature: Signed “Edward Hersey” to the lower right

Frame: Recent Larson-Juhl gilt moulded frame

Catalogue Note

The motor yacht is shown in starboard profile, advancing across the central plane of the composition beneath an expansive blue sky.

The elongated horizontal canvas reinforces the vessel’s streamlined proportions and creates a strong impression of forward movement. Hersey carefully balances the architectural geometry of the boat against the softer, more fluid forms of the surrounding water and clouds.

Directional brushwork animates the foreground, while rhythmic passages of white and pale blue describe the wake trailing behind the hull. The water becomes calmer towards the distant horizon, producing a convincing sense of depth.

Small birds are scattered through the upper sky, providing scale and atmospheric interest without distracting from the yacht. Their restrained placement contributes to the sense of open air and distance.

The vessel is rendered with considerable precision. Details including the hull portlights, glazing bands, flybridge, radar arch and bathing platform indicate close observation of a recognisable late-20th-century motor-yacht design.

Colour and Technique

The painting is dominated by a refined range of blue, white and grey tones.

Deeper blues and green undertones give the water visual weight, while lighter cobalt and ultramarine passages suggest reflections and surface movement. White highlights across the wake and bow spray introduce rhythm and energy.

The yacht’s pale hull and superstructure are modelled with pearl-grey shadows, creating the polished appearance of a GRP motor cruiser without losing definition against the sky.

Hersey employs smooth transitions across the larger atmospheric passages while reserving finer, more linear brushwork for the yacht’s windows, railings and superstructure.

The result is a balanced example of late-20th-century maritime realism: technically controlled, atmospheric and decorative without becoming theatrical.

The Yacht

The vessel corresponds closely to a Fairline Squadron 50 or a related Fairline flybridge model dating from the 1990s.

Fairline Yachts, based at Oundle in Northamptonshire, became internationally recognised for producing high-performance British motor yachts combining offshore capability with comfortable cruising accommodation.

Typical late-1990s examples of the Squadron 50 featured:

• An overall length of approximately 15.3 metres.
• A planing GRP hull.
• Twin diesel inboard engines.
• Maximum speeds approaching 30 knots, depending upon engine configuration.
• Cruising speeds of approximately 20–22 knots.
• An elevated flybridge helm.
• Three-cabin accommodation.
• Integrated aft bathing platform.
• Curved radar arch and extensive horizontal glazing.

The painted vessel displays several comparable features, including the flybridge profile, oval hull portlights, curved radar structure and elongated glazing.

Without surviving preparatory documentation or a clearly legible vessel name, the model identification should remain an informed visual assessment rather than a definitive statement.

Historical Context

During the 1990s, British yacht builders enjoyed a strong international reputation for combining performance, engineering and increasingly sophisticated accommodation.

Large flybridge motor cruisers became associated with coastal leisure, extended cruising and contemporary luxury. Their streamlined GRP construction and elevated helm stations created a visual language quite distinct from traditional sailing craft.

Hersey’s painting records this modern form of British maritime design with the same care traditionally afforded to historic ship portraits.

Rather than presenting the yacht as a status symbol alone, the artist emphasises its relationship with open water, light and movement. The resulting image is composed and aspirational without excessive display.

The Artist

Edward Hersey was born in Croydon, Surrey, in 1948.

He is principally recognised for finely detailed paintings of the British countryside, particularly farm buildings, rural landscapes, livestock and winter scenes.

Hersey’s formative years in southern England inspired a lasting interest in traditional architecture and pastoral life. His paintings are admired for their precise observation, atmospheric lighting and ability to combine realism with an idealised sense of rural tranquillity.

The present yacht portrait represents an unusual departure from his better-known agricultural subjects. Nevertheless, the same artistic characteristics remain evident: careful draughtsmanship, controlled light, balanced composition and meticulous surface detail.

Signature

Signed “Edward Hersey” to the lower right.

Provenance

Private West Sussex collection.

Toovey’s, Washington, West Sussex, Prints, Maps & Posters, Decorative Pictures, Silver, Plate and Jewellery, 18 February 2026, catalogued as Motor Cruise Boat off the Coast.

Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.

Private exhibition record:
Power & Prestige: Modern Marine Icons of the Late 20th Century, Lord Hill Museum.

The previously supplied exhibition date of March 2025 requires confirmation against the documented February 2026 auction chronology.

Dimensions

Canvas:
91.5 cm wide × 61 cm high

Framed:
107.5 cm wide × 77 cm high × 5 cm deep

All measurements are approximate.

Framing

Recently fitted within a substantial gilt Larson-Juhl moulded frame.

The restrained classical finish complements the yacht’s pale hull and the painting’s extensive blue palette while providing an impressive gallery-style presentation.

The work is ready for immediate display.

Condition Report

The painting is in very good overall condition.

The canvas remains stable and well tensioned. The painted surface appears clean and secure, with no visible structural concerns under normal inspection.

Small scattered brown spots or foxing-like marks are visible within the upper sky. These marks are minor but should be noted.

The recently fitted Larson-Juhl frame presents in excellent overall order.

Please examine all listing photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition report. Additional photographs and information are available upon request.

Worldwide Shipping

Worldwide delivery is available.

The painting will be professionally packaged using appropriate protective materials and fully insured during transit.

Please contact us through eBay Messages for an international shipping quotation or to arrange collection.

Attribution and Research 

The historical observations, provenance research, attribution analysis and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. They are offered in good faith as informed scholarly assessments based upon the available evidence, comparative research, published reference material and our experience within the international fine art market.

These observations should be understood as professional opinions rather than definitive statements of fact or guarantees of authorship, attribution, date, origin, provenance or historical interpretation. As with all historic works of art, future documentary discoveries, technical examination, conservation analysis or advances in academic research may refine, expand or revise current interpretations.

Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution
The artwork will be supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, recording the artwork’s catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated, and details of the sale. This document accompanies the work as part of its ongoing ownership and provenance record.

Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®

Specialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art.

Every artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market. We are committed to offering collectors works of artistic and historical merit accompanied by transparent provenance research, detailed catalogue descriptions and professional, client-focused service.

Additional photographs and further information are available upon request.