Arthur Wellington Fowles (British, 1815-1883)
The yawl Julia under Royal Yacht Squadron colours, 1857
oil on canvas
61 x 92cm (24 x 36 1/4in).
Footnotes:
Provenance
With Royal Exchange Art Gallery, London.

Built by Ratsey for Mr. William Peareth, Julia was originally launched as a cutter and won the Squadron Cup at Cowes in her maiden season in 1853 beating, amongst others, the legendary Arrow. Having already won her class in the Royal London's regatta that May (1853), her career was off to a flying start and the next year she took on Arrow again for Prince Albert's Cup at Cowes; even though she lost on this occasion, it was a memorable race and the talk of the regatta that year. After the close of the 1856 season, Peareth sold Julia to Mr. John Houldsworth who had her converted to a yawl ready for the start of the 1857 season and obviously commissioned this portrait of her sporting her new rig at the same time. Following three successful seasons, Julia was sold again after Houldsworth's death in the winter of 1859 and bought by Mr. J.B. Hesketh who also only kept her for a couple of years. Passing through the hands of two more owners in quick succession, Julia is last noted in 1869 when she won the Nore to Dover match against a large field of competitors.