Late 19th Century British Marine Painting of the Four-Masted Barque Sindia, in the Manner of Richard Henry Neville-Cumming

Details

Description

Late 19th Century British Marine Painting of the Four-Masted Barque Sindia, in the Manner of Richard Henry Neville-Cumming
Historic British … Read more Late 19th Century British Marine Painting of the Four-Masted Barque Sindia, in the Manner of Richard Henry Neville-Cumming
Historic British Ship Portrait of the Harland & Wolff Built Brocklebank Line Steel Barque Sindia

Highlights
• Late 19th-century British maritime ship portrait
• In the manner of Richard Henry Neville-Cumming (1843–1920)
• Initialled A.E.S. lower left and inscribed SINDIA lower right
• Depicts the four-masted steel barque Sindia
• Built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, Yard No. 204
• Constructed for T. & J. Brocklebank of Liverpool
• Pencil, wash and bodycolour on paper
• Historic Frost & Reed Ltd. label verso
• Phillips & Jolly’s documented historic auction record
• Gardiner Houlgate provenance, 2025
• Traditional tiger-oak frame with protective glass
• Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution included

Introduction
A highly detailed late 19th-century British maritime ship portrait depicting the magnificent four-masted steel barque Sindia, constructed by Harland & Wolff for the historic Liverpool shipping concern T. & J. Brocklebank.
Shown in full broadside under an impressive spread of sail, Sindia moves through a lively sea beneath an expansive atmospheric sky. Crew figures, distant shipping and a coastal headland animate the composition, while warm golden light breaks through the clouds above.
The work is catalogued as British Nautical School, In the Manner of Richard Henry Neville-Cumming (1843–1920) and is initialled A.E.S. lower left and inscribed SINDIA lower right.
The Neville-Cumming comparison is particularly relevant because the British marine artist himself painted Sindia, including a documented portrait dated 1888 and another composition depicting Sindia with the Brocklebank steamer Ameer in 1889.
The present painting is not attributed to Neville-Cumming himself. “In the Manner of” is used as a stylistic attribution.

Catalogue Details
Artist / Attribution: British Nautical School, In the Manner of Richard Henry Neville-Cumming (1843–1920)
Historic Artist Attribution: A.E.S.
Title: Portrait of the Four-Masted Steel Barque Sindia
Date: Circa 1890s
Medium: Pencil, wash and bodycolour on paper
Signature: Initialled A.E.S. lower left
Inscription: SINDIA lower right
Image Dimensions: Approximately 29 cm high x 44.5 cm wide
Framed Dimensions: 49 cm high x 62.5 cm wide x 4 cm deep
Frame: Traditional tiger-oak frame with protective glass

Composition & Technique
The artist presents Sindia almost directly in broadside, sailing towards the left through choppy seas.
Her towering four-masted rig dominates the composition, with numerous sails set and the intricate arrangement of spars and rigging carefully delineated. Small crew figures populate the deck while identifying flags and pennants fly above.
Further sailing vessels and a steam-assisted ship appear in the distance, while a headland provides depth towards the right. The expansive sky is particularly attractive, with golden sunlight illuminating passages of cloud.
The precise identification of the vessel, broadside presentation and close attention to maritime detail place the work firmly within the British ship-portrait tradition.
Richard Henry Neville-Cumming & Sindia
Richard Henry Neville-Cumming (1843–1920) was a British marine artist known for accomplished portraits of sailing and steam vessels.
Of particular relevance, Neville-Cumming is documented as having portrayed Sindia herself shortly after the vessel entered service.
His The Four-Masted Barque Sindia under Shortened Sail in the Channel was signed and dated 1888. A further work dated 1889 depicted the Brocklebank steamer Ameer and the barque Sindia off Gibraltar.
These documented works provide particularly pertinent contemporary comparisons for the present A.E.S.-initialled ship portrait.

The Historic A.E.S. Attribution
The full identity of the artist represented by the initials A.E.S. remains unresolved.
Importantly, however, the initials form part of the painting’s historic catalogue history.
Phillips & Jolly’s Auction Rooms of Bath previously catalogued the picture as:
“A.E.S. – The Clipper ‘Sindia’, signed and inscribed, pencil, wash and heightened with bodycolour, 29 x 44.5 cms.”
The A.E.S. attribution is therefore retained transparently rather than assigning an unsupported full identity to the artist.

The Four-Masted Steel Barque Sindia
Sindia was constructed by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, as Yard No. 204 for T. & J. Brocklebank of Liverpool.
Launched on 19 November 1887, she entered service in 1888 and was registered at Liverpool under Official Number 93757.
Her principal specifications were approximately 329.3 feet in length, 45.2 feet in beam and approximately 3,067 gross tons, with a deadweight capacity approaching 5,000 tons.
Built principally for the Calcutta trade, Sindia represented the remarkable scale and sophistication achieved by British commercial sailing vessels during the closing years of the Victorian age of sail.
Her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Calcutta commenced in February 1888.
Later Career & American Connection
Following her Brocklebank career, Sindia was sold in 1900 to the Anglo-American Oil Company, associated with Standard Oil’s British operations.
This provides an important historical connection with the international petroleum business associated with John D. Rockefeller, although Sindia was corporate property rather than Rockefeller’s personal vessel.
In December 1901, while returning from the Far East towards New York, Sindia encountered severe weather and became stranded off Ocean City, New Jersey.
Her crew were successfully rescued with assistance from the United States Life-Saving Service.
The wreck subsequently became one of Ocean City’s best-known maritime landmarks and generated decades of salvage attempts and local folklore.
Later stories associated the vessel with valuable Chinese and Japanese treasure and the Boxer Rebellion. While valuable Far Eastern merchandise was aboard, the more sensational treasure claims have not been conclusively established.

Historic Frost & Reed Association
The reverse retains a historic printed label for Frost & Reed Ltd., Bristol and London.
The label describes the celebrated British firm as:
Artistic Frame Makers
Fine Art Publishers
Picture Reparation
and records premises at Clare Street, Bristol and 26 King Street, St James’s, London.
The label establishes a historic association with Frost & Reed, although available evidence does not presently establish whether the firm framed, restored, handled or sold the picture.

Provenance
Frost & Reed Ltd., Bristol and London, historic label verso; precise nature of association presently unconfirmed.
Phillips & Jolly’s Auction Rooms, Bath, Sale No. 343, Monday 14 September, Lot 103, catalogued as “A.E.S., The Clipper ‘Sindia’, signed and inscribed, pencil, wash and heightened with bodycolour, 29 x 44.5 cms.”
Gardiner Houlgate, Corsham, Wiltshire, 23 January 2025, Lot 210, catalogued as English School, 19th century, The Vessel Sindia.
Subsequently curated, researched and presented by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.

Frame
Presented in a traditional tiger-oak frame with protective glass.
The substantial dark oak presentation complements the maritime subject and retains important historic labels and catalogue evidence verso.

Dimensions
Image:
Approximately 29 cm high x 44.5 cm wide
Approximately 11.42 inches high x 17.52 inches wide
Framed:
49 cm high x 62.5 cm wide x 4 cm deep
Approximately 19.29 inches high x 24.61 inches wide x 1.57 inches deep

Condition Report
Offered in fine historic condition consistent with age.
The painting remains in good overall condition for its age, with areas of foxing and age-related staining visible to the paper.
The traditional tiger-oak frame displays general age-related wear, scuffs, minor chips and localised losses commensurate with age and use.
The artwork is protected behind glass.
Please examine all photographs carefully as they form an integral part of the condition report.


Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution
The artwork will be supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, recording the artwork’s catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated, and details of the sale. This document accompanies the work as part of its ongoing ownership and provenance record.

Attribution and Research
The historical observations, provenance research, attribution analysis and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. They are offered in good faith as informed scholarly assessments based upon the available evidence, comparative research, published reference material and our experience within the international fine art market.
These observations should be understood as professional opinions rather than definitive statements of fact or guarantees of authorship, attribution, date, origin, provenance or historical interpretation. As with all historic works of art, future documentary discoveries, technical examination, conservation analysis or advances in academic research may refine, expand or revise current interpretations.

Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Specialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art.
Every artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market. We are committed to offering collectors works of artistic and historical merit accompanied by transparent provenance research, detailed catalogue descriptions and professional, client-focused service.
Additional photographs and further information are available upon request. See less