Percy William Justyne – Trinidad looking from Cape la Brea

Out of stock

Signed in pencil and inscribed with title on the original mount. Watercolour with gouache highlights on brown wove paper (painted circa 1841-45). Float Mounted onto museum board with an aperture cut in verso to allow inscription to be seen.

Description

The following detailed description on the topography is written in pencil on the original paper support (verso).

Trinidad looking from Cape la Brea. The Island in the left hand corner from the entrance of the Gulf of Paria called The Dragons Mouth, and in the long reach of the Bay ending just over the heads of the two small figures on the right is the city of the Port of Spain.

Condition: Discoloration of the primary support. The watercolour has been treated by an accredited paper conservator.

Additional information

Image

4 1/4 in x 20 7/8 in. (11 cm x 53 cm.)

Frame or Mount

Mount: 10 3/4 in x 17 1/8 in. (27.2 cm x 69 cm.)

Brand

Justyne, Percy William (1812–1883)

Justyne, Percy William (1812–1883), artist and book-illustrator, son of Percy and Anne Justyne, was born at Rochester in Kent in 1812. He was educated for the royal navy, and went on a surveying expedition in H.M.S. Nimble, but considerations of health led him to give up that profession, and he completed his education at a school at Mitcham, Surrey. He developed a taste for art, and practised landscape-painting. In 1837 he sent a landscape to the Suffolk Street exhibition, and in 1838 exhibited ‘A Scene in the Alps by Moonlight’ at the Royal Academy. From 1841 to 1845 he was private secretary to Major-general Charles Joseph Doyle, governor of the island of Grenada in the West Indies; he afterwards served as acting stipendiary magistrate in the island, and on Doyle's death in 1848 returned to England. He now practised regularly as an artist, and became noted for his skill as an illustrator of books. He was employed on the ‘Illustrated London News’ in 1849 and 1850, the ‘Graphic,’ the ‘London Journal,’ the ‘National Magazine,’ the ‘Floral World,’ and the ‘Building News.’ He illustrated the ‘Art Journal’ catalogues of the International Exhibitions in 1851 and 1862; Dr. Smith's ‘History of Greece’ and ‘Biblical Dictionary,’ &c.; Fergusson's ‘Handbook of Architecture;’ Rawlinson's ‘Five Monarchies;’ Dean Stanley's ‘Memorials of Westminster Abbey;’ Cassell's ‘Bible’ and ‘Bible Dictionary;’ Charles Kingsley's ‘Christmas in the Tropics,’ and Miss Meteyard's ‘Life of Josiah Wedgwood.’ Justyne died 6 June 1883, and was buried at Norwood cemetery. He left a family, of whom the youngest daughter married Mr. W. H. Arnold. - Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 30.