Harold Swanwick RI Signed 1915 Maritime Watercolor Set (3) Royal Navy VGC Framed
**RARE COMPLETE TRILOGY: 100 YEARS OF THE BRITISH ROYAL NAVY (1915)**
An exceptional, pristine set of three original watercolors by the renowned British exhibition artist Harold Swanwick RI, ROI, RBA (1866–1929).
Joseph Harold Swanwick was an elite and highly decorated British exhibition painter active during the late Victorian and Edwardian art eras.
Academic Background: The son of a physician, Swanwick received a world-class artistic education at two of Europe’s most prestigious institutions: - The Slade School of Fine Art (London) under Alphonse Legros, mastering ultra-precise draughtsmanship. - Académie Julian (Paris), where he mastered advanced French watercolor techniques, light capture, and outdoor brushwork.
**Institutional Prestige:** Swanwick achieved immense professional acclaim from his peers and was elected to Britain's most exclusive art societies:
- R.I. (Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours) Elected 1897, cementing his status as a master of the watercolor medium.
- R.O.I. (Royal Institute of Oil Painters) Elected 1909.
- R.B.A. (Royal Society of British Artists)
He was a frequent exhibitor at the prestigious Royal Academy (RA) in London from 1889 until his death, as well as the Royal Scottish Academy and the Walker Art Gallery.
**Museum Collections:** Today, Swanwick's works are held in highly regarded public museum collections across the UK, including: - The British Museum (London) - The Walker Art Gallery (Liverpool) - The Towner Art Gallery (Eastbourne) - The York Museums Trust
NB: ***** Why this Maritime Set is exceptionally rare:- While Swanwick spent his later life in East Sussex becoming legendary for painting the South Downs and agricultural scenes, this 1915 historical trilogy represents a highly focused, mature venture into maritime historical illustration.
Because historical marine paintings are a stark departure from his standard rural subjects, this cohesive, flawlessly preserved trilogy is an incredibly scarce sub-genre of his lifetime work, making it highly collectible for both art investors and naval historians alike.
The Set:- *********** Painted and signed in 1915, this unified collection chronicles a century of historic naval evolution across three distinct royal houses.
THE THREE PAINTINGS INCLUDE:- *****************************************
1. The "Murrian" (Tudor Era — King Henry VIII and Edward VI)
2. English Warship (Commonwealth Era — Oliver Cromwell, 1660)
3. The "Royal Charles" (Restoration Era — King Charles II.)
Condition: Very Good Condition (VGC). Outstanding preservation. - Pigments: Exceptionally vibrant with zero fading or sun damage. - Paper: Free of foxing, stains, or tearing. - Signature: Each piece is individually hand-signed and dated ('15) by Harold Swanwick in the lower corners. - Mounts and Lettering: Features uniform, original hand-painted borders and crisp, period-accurate calligraphy identifying each vessel. - Framing: Housed in their original Edwardian dark wood frames. Crucially, all three paintings still retain their identical, undisturbed backing labels from the historical London framer "A. J. Soar, 16 Knight's Hill, West Norwood," guaranteeing perfect provenance and 110+ years of unified history.
**SHIPPING and DELIVERY:** Items will be packed with multi-layered bubble wrap and shipped in a heavy-duty crush-proof box via a tracked service.
Worldwide shipping available via eBay's Global Shipping Programme (GSP).
Please see the photos for further information on condition.