Completed Maritime Subjects, South East England: Artists and Subjects 20 Is this brig really leaving Dover? Is George Chambers I the artist?

A Brig Leaving Dover
Topic: Subject or sitter

This picture has long been called 'A Brig Leaving Dover', probably because of a superficial similarity, white cliffs and the 'D. R.' on the stern of the small boat shown.

However, I find both the form of the harbour for its supposedly pre-1840 date and the background topography unconvincing, especially the round fort on the clifftop, right, as a distinctive feature: views of Dover usually include either Shakespeare Cliff to the west, or Dover Castle to the east of the declivity in which the town and old harbour lie.

I also doubt it is really by George Chambers I (1803–1840) on the basis of its inferior quality to his general output and it's at least possible the 'D. R.' is artist's initials, though I can't think who. Martin Hopkinson has pointed out to me that Chambers did show a 'Dover Pier' at the British Institution in 1834, wondering if this might be it, which I doubt, but it prompts me to ask for other views on location at least.

Pieter van der Merwe, Maritime Subjects, Entry reviewed by Art UK

Completed, Outcome

Edward Stone,

This discussion is now closed. We have updated this painting's description on Art UK.

Thank you to all for participating in this discussion. To those viewing this discussion for the first time, please see below for all comments that led to this conclusion.

19 comments

Cliff Thornton,

Pieter, in the small space between the ship's boom and the billowing sail, the artist has included an important detail. You can just make out the white cylindrical structure which stood on the end of the west pier. It was a precursor to the subsequent lighthouse. This structure appears on other contemporary views from the 1830s. See attached.
So the piers certainly suggest Dover.

Martin Hopkinson,

Does not the small boat in the middle of the Heath engraving have the initials D R- but could these initials be shorthand for D...R [ that is Dover?

Martin Hopkinson,

I think that the medieaval castle could be hidden by the pier - but agree with Pieter that it is difficult to accept the picture as by Chambers.
Cliff - do any of the prints which you mention acknowledge the artists' whose work they used?



Martin Hopkinson,

There was a debate in 1836 about building a Western pier at Dover see https://doverhistorian.com
The wooden pier was drawn or painted by Clarkson Stanfield from a different angle in which one can see the castle. This was engraved in 1836 by J W Appleton as part of Clarkson Stanfield's Coastal Scenery . An image of this is on the Tate Gallery online catalogue.

Cliff Thornton,

Martin, the previous attachment was by William Heath dated c. 1836.
Attached is another image by John Carpenter showing the same circular structure at the end of the west pier. Apologies for the poor resolution, better one on line.

1 attachment
Martin Hopkinson,

There is a 374 paged PH.D thesis of 2015 on historic sea-coast timber piers by Mark Stiles Johnson , Department of Archaeology , University of York
Dover is case study 17 . There is a watercolour of the wooden piers seen from the sea by William Wyllie in the National Maritime Museum [PO9038] fig 42 on p.99.
Some of the publications in the 20 pp. plus may be of use

This thesis will probably prove helpful in elucidating and pointing to sources relevant for representations of other piers on artuk.org

Martin Hopkinson,

Johnson vol 2 has the extensive case studies and further bibliography.

Martin Hopkinson,

Johnson is an archaeologist and seems to have had little interest in representations of piers from their seaward side

Martin Hopkinson,

Johnson is an archaeologist and seems to have had little interest in representations of piers from their seaward side

Jacinto Regalado,

So it seems clear that this is indeed a depiction of Dover. As for the artist, looking over the paintings by George Chambers I on ArtUK, there is better work, but also work of about the same quality, as well as some pictures of lesser (even what I would call primitive, presumably earlier in his career). While I know next to nothing about marine painting apart from things by very big names, I think Chambers could have painted this, or rather, that he cannot be ruled out based on the level of accomplishment alone.

Thanks very much for all these thoughts. They convince me it is Dover though it would be useful to know more about the circular fortification shown at top right. It is also useful to see the boat marked 'DR 3' on the Heath print of 1836: it's probably a pilot gig and at least confirms the meaning of the same code in the oil.

Kieran Owens,

Dear Pieter, is the Art Detective website malfunctioning? My recent pre-Christmas post and attachment regarding this painting, and especially the detailed explanation as to the meaning of the lettered and numbered boat marking, have disappeared.

So it would appear, but I'm sure its something which will quickly get picked up by the office depending on when it recovers from Christmas after-effects...

Kieran Owens,

Here, once again, is the posting that disappeared:

If you need any further proof that this is Dover, on the attached composite one can see, behind the mast and funnel of the paddle steamer that is heading out of the harbour, the Compass and Clock towers of Dover Harbour, both of which were erected on the Crosswall of the Tidal Harbour in 1830. The painting, therefore, dates from after this year. Both of these features were demolished in May of 1871, leading to the conclusion the painting dates from between 1830 and 1871.

See https://doverhistorian.com/2014/04/26/clock-tower/ for a full description of these facts.

Further, there is no sign on the left-hand-side of the canvas of any of the foundation blocks of the Admiralty Pier, the first stone of which was laid in April 1848 and which was, by 1850, 650ft in length. This suggests that the painting dates from sometime between 1830 and 1848.

Also attached below is a print of the arrival at Dover in 1840 of Prince Albert prior to his marriage to Queen Victoria. The paddle steamer within which he is travelling bears a resemblance to the one in our painting, further suggesting that the painting might date from around that period.

Additionally, an analysis of the engraving of J. M. W. Turner's 1850 painting of Dover shows great thematic similarities, and could indicate that our painting dates from the latter part of the 1840s. The presence of the steam powered vessel is of significance in this suggestion.

http://www.rareoldprints.com/z/18415

Regarding the appearance of the letter DR on the boats in both the painting and the print, this is easily explained. Dated the 13th July 1813 (53 George III), an amendment, to Act of Parliament that had been passed the year before, was passed, entitled "An Act to amend an Act passed in the last Session of Parliament, intitled 'An Act for the more effectual Regulation of Pilots and of the Pilotage of Ships and Vessels on the Coast of England, and for the Regulation of Boatmen employed in supplying Vessels with Pilots, licences under the said Act, so far as relates to the Coast of Kent within the Limits of the Cinque Ports.'" (sic).

The full Act can be seen here:

https://books.google.ie/books?id=RMg_AAAAcAAJ&pg=RA1-PA1129&dq=DOVER+BOATMEN+DR&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiovfn3oZvYAhUrJsAKHcjcB_UQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=DOVER BOATMEN DR&f=false

Clause XI sets out that every licensed boatman having a boat "shall cause the Number of his license to be distinctly painted in Figures on each Bow and Quarter of such boat, and on both sides of everyone of the Sails thereof, with the addition for the Dover Boats, of the Roman Letters D.R. in Black; the Deal Boats, the Letter D. in Black; the Ramsgate Boats, the letter R. in Black; the Margate Boats, the letter M. in Black......." etc. See attached pdf. for the precise wording.

On the basis of the above, there can be no doubt that the scene depicted is of Dover. The above regulation might also be useful to note when trying to identify other marine paintings of harbours on the south coast of England, especially of the Cinque Ports.

Finally, given the very dramatic perspective of the harbour mouth, vis a vis the row of buildings that stretch across most of the canvas, as well as the breadth of the moorings depicted by the masts the tied-up ships, the fortification on the hill above the right-hand-side (Eastern?) pier could well be the Drop Redoubt of the Western Heights with the Grand Shaft Barracks clearly showing just below it. Dover Castle would be, therefore, further to the right of these features, off the canvas, and is therefore not represented on this painting.

Thanks for re-supplying those comprehensive references. As already remarked, the identification of the scene as Dover is beyond doubt and it appears to be relatively unusual as one from the sea including what your identify as 'the Drop Redoubt of the Western Heights with the Grand Shaft Barracks': I can't recall seeing another such, which was one of the reasons I queried the location originally. I remain less convinced that it is by Chambers rather than in similar manner, especially if (as not in doubt) of a post-1830 date: its not of his general later-career quality. However that reservation is already present in the current cataloguing, though I'll adjust that a little from these useful additions on the topography.

Unless anyone has better ideas on 'artist' I think this discussion could now close.

I have had a closer look at this in high resolution with the following amended description being the result (minus text on the artist). It has been greatly improved by the suggestions made above, for which many thanks, as also briefly noted in the now amended collection entry.

'This painting shows a view of Dover from the sea with a brig sailing out towards the viewer. A fishing boat is making its way back in the opposite direction towards the harbour across the animated waves. 'DR' on the stern indicates it is a Dover boat in accordance with an Act of 1813 (53 Geo. III) amending one of the previous year and specifying that Dover, Deal, Ramsgate and Margate boats be licensed and show their licence numbers on hulls and sails, respectively preceded by the letters DR, D, R and M in black. A steamer, identified on the paddle-box as the 'Royal William' - and presumably named for William IV who came to the throne in 1830 - is following the brig out of harbour. Behind its funnel, and just to the right are a pair of grey towers which are the twin Compass and Clock Towers built on the cross wall of the tidal harbour in 1830. They were demolished in May 1871. The fortification on the cliff to the right is the Drop Redoubt on the town's Western Heights, with the blocks of the Grand Shaft Barracks below it and connected by a long stair. The composition is full of narrative detail and has long been identified as by George Chambers senior, though its painterly quality and drawing is not his best standard and have prompted doubts. However, it does have a now largely erased inscription/ signature lower left which appears to have been 'G Chambers/ 1830' though the year date is not entirely clear.'

There seem to have been a number of 'Royal William' paddle-steamers built from 1830, the best known being a Canadian one (launched 1831) 176 feet long which crossed the Atlantic. A smaller one ran from London to Margate in the 1830s, and this is presumably a similar Channel packet of similar size though not immediately obvious. I hope that wraps this up.