Francis SWAINE (1719 – 1782) - Ships on Rough Seas

Ships on Rough Seas
Oil on canvas, 52.5 x 101 cm

PROVENANCE

- Cowie Collection (label on the back of the stretcher);
- Christie's sale, 1951, no. 115 (as Van de Velde, label on the back of the stretcher)
- Christie's London sale, 12 November 2014, Francis Swaine, lot 8, acquired by the last owner.


THE WORK

Our painting by Francis Swaine – which could be entitled Three Views of an 18th-Century Warship – has an educational quality. On the right, the two-deck ship is on the port tack and is preparing to tack by turning its bows into the wind. The mainsail is being reduced, but the topgallant sail above it and the pilot on the mizzenmast are still pulling, allowing the ship to cut through the water. However, the yards of the mizzenmast have been released and the crew is struggling to control the course and the foremast. The details in Swaine's painting are so vivid that one can imagine the sails flapping in the moderate breeze, voices shouting orders, and above all, the shrill whistle of the boatswain's bagpipes.

In the centre, the helm has been pushed to turn the ship, which is almost facing into the wind, has lost its course and is almost motionless. The yards have been wrapped around the masts, but the foresail sails are down, while the main topsail is just beginning to right itself. On the left, the topgallant is now completely furled and the ship is sailing on the new starboard tack. Spurred on by the boatswain's whistle, the crew rushes into the rigging to adjust the sails so that the ship can pick up speed on its new course. The main topgallant is now securely nailed down, but confusion reigns at the foot of the foremast, where officers and men struggle to take charge of the yards and sails. Throughout the manoeuvre, the staysails have remained neatly rolled up along the bowsprit and the jib.

The precision and detail of this painting, including the change in wind and weather heralded by the clouds above the scene, clearly demonstrate Swaine's intimate knowledge of his subject.

For a similar composition, see:
- F.B Cockett, Peter Monamy 1681-1749 and his circle, Woodbridge, 2000, p. 101, pl.49.
- Christie's auction, London, 8 December 2023, lot 210