James Harris of Swansea (British, 1810-1887)
The barque Ethelbert hove to for the pilot which is alongside her off the Mumbles lighthouse
indistinctly signed (lower left)
oil on canvas
36.2 x 61.6cm (14 1/4 x 24 1/4in).
Footnotes:
The ship in this painting is confirmed as the barque Ethelbert from the Marryat Code signal flags nos. 3641 which she is flying.

Built by Fellows at Yarmouth, Isle of Wight in 1853, she was owned by her builder throughout her life and although she regarded Yarmouth as her 'home port', her regular route was always Swansea to South America. Registered at 313 tons gross, she measured 111 feet in length with a 22.6 foot beam and a 15.7 foot draught and was clearly a 'well found' vessel as she was rated A1 by Lloyd's Register. By 1867 however, her condition had begun to deteriorate and her Lloyd's rating had been suspended by 1870, after which she disappears from record. Since there is no record of her being sunk, it is probable that she was broken up following her gruelling career involving repeated voyages 'around the Horn'.

She is shown hove-to off the Mumbles lighthouse with the pilot cutter alongside, ready for the pilot to take her into Swansea Docks. However, there is no sign of the so-called 'Fort' which was built in 1860 so there is no doubt the work predates that and it could be that this work was produced in 1853 to mark her completion/maiden voyage. The care with which the Signal flags have been executed was done for a reason and to commemorate her completion/maiden voyage seems entirely logical.

She is probably carrying copper given that she will be unloading it in the industrial heartland of South Wales but, that said, it could just as easily be wheat, Chile's other principal export at this time.

The canvas does not appear to have been lined.

There are signs of rubbing to the right framing edge.

Craquelure is visible throughout the composition, with a small area beginning to lift in the centre of the sea.

There is a dirty and discoloured varnish layer.

UV light reveals scattered spots of retouching and infilling to craquelure throughout.