This oil by early British marine painter Francis Swaine is in very good condition for a work that dates from the 18th century. It is an exceptional early example of a romantic harbor view complete with British warships, a lighthouse, military fort and church spire. Swaine painted a well-balanced composition of a coastal military drill and rather dramatic town atmosphere.Smoke drifts from the portside guns of the British fourth-rate, so named due to the number of guns she carried. A large warship, with three banks of cannon, rests on the water before her. Swaine appears to have worked from a low vantage point purposely, giving crisp details to the foreground subjects while portraying the vast distance across and open sky above.On shore, the excellent image of a very early lighthouse is complete with a small balcony, while the fort flies a rather large British flag sedately in the morning air. Two working sailors travel by boat, one laboring at the oars while the other tests the channel's depths with a pole. The diverse subject matter all coming together in one painting reflects Swaine's early talent for capturing realistic maritime imagery in the finest tradition of British marine painting.
