Frank Watson Wood Painting HMS London Signed First World War Royal Navy Watercolour Historic Anstice and Dardanelles Associations

Details

Description

1915 Frank Watson Wood British Marine Painting of HMS London

Signed First World War Royal Navy Watercolour With Historic Anstice … Read more 1915 Frank Watson Wood British Marine Painting of HMS London

Signed First World War Royal Navy Watercolour With Historic Anstice And Dardanelles Associations

Highlights

Fine British naval watercolour by Frank Watson Wood (1862-1953).
Signed “Frank Wood” lower right and dated 1915.
Inscribed “H.M.S. London 1914”.
Watercolour on paper.
Depicts the Royal Navy pre-dreadnought battleship HMS London underway at sea.
Contemporary First World War naval subject.
Associated with HMS London’s service with the 5th Battle Squadron during the opening period of the war.
Historic handwritten material records the service aboard HMS London of Midshipman Edmund Walter Anstice, later Vice-Admiral Sir Edmund Walter Anstice KCB.
Historic newspaper cutting concerning HMS London during the Dardanelles campaign.
Historic J. F. Prowse of Plymouth picture framer’s label.
Documented Scottish auction provenance.
Privately loaned to and exhibited at the Famous Lord Hill Museum, Shropshire.
Professionally re-presented in a traditional gilt Larson-Juhl frame with specialist protective glazing.

Introduction

A historically compelling First World War naval watercolour by the distinguished British marine artist Frank Watson Wood (1862-1953), depicting HMS London, the lead vessel of the Royal Navy’s London class of pre-dreadnought battleships.

Signed and dated 1915 and inscribed “H.M.S. London 1914”, this atmospheric work was painted during the First World War and appears to commemorate the battleship during the opening period of the conflict.

Wood presents London in full broadside profile steaming purposefully through a blue-grey sea. Smoke streams from her twin funnels beneath a lightly clouded sky, while distant vessels and three seabirds animate the surrounding waters.

The relatively intimate scale is offset by Wood’s precise observation of the battleship and confident handling of sea and atmosphere.

Catalogue Details

Artist: Frank Watson Wood (1862-1953)

Title: HMS London, 1914

Date: 1915

Medium: Watercolour on paper

Signature: Signed “Frank Wood” lower right

Date: Dated 1915

Inscription: “H.M.S. London 1914”

Subject: HMS London, Royal Navy

Watercolour: approximately 18.5 x 27.5 cm

Current frame: approximately 44 x 53 x 2 cm

Historical Context

At the outbreak of the First World War HMS London formed part of the Royal Navy’s 5th Battle Squadron.

During the opening stages of the conflict the squadron served with the Channel Fleet and undertook duties associated with protecting the movement of the British Expeditionary Force across the English Channel.

Wood’s inscription “H.M.S. London 1914”, together with his 1915 date, therefore places the composition within a particularly important period of the battleship’s service.

The painting may commemorate London during these opening wartime operations, although presently available evidence does not establish that Wood intended the composition to represent one particular BEF crossing.

The Anstice Association

Historic handwritten material preserved with the watercolour records the association of Edmund Walter Anstice (1899-1979) with HMS London.

Anstice entered wartime Royal Navy service while still a teenager and served aboard London as a midshipman. He subsequently participated in the Dardanelles campaign.

His distinguished naval career eventually saw him attain flag rank as Vice-Admiral Sir Edmund Walter Anstice KCB.

The survival of this annotation alongside Wood’s 1915 portrait of HMS London creates an intriguing historical association.

Wood is known to have produced portraits of naval vessels for officers associated with the ships represented, making a possible early connection between this picture and Anstice or his family an interesting subject for further research.

Documentary evidence proving that the watercolour was commissioned by, presented to or originally owned by Anstice or his family has not presently been established, and no such provenance is asserted.

Frank Watson Wood

Born at Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1862, Frank Watson Wood developed into an accomplished British marine painter particularly associated with Royal Navy subjects.

After artistic training and an early career in art education, Wood established himself professionally and developed important connections with the Navy after moving to Portsmouth.

Serving and retired naval officers commissioned portraits of vessels with which they had been associated, providing Wood with close familiarity with contemporary British warships.

His patrons included King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

In 1918 Wood was among the artists granted access aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth to witness and record the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow.

His naval paintings remain highly appealing historical documents as well as accomplished examples of British marine art.

HMS London

HMS London was laid down at Portsmouth Dockyard in December 1898, launched in September 1899 and completed in 1902.

She was the lead vessel of the London class of Royal Navy pre-dreadnought battleships.

Following the outbreak of the First World War London served with the 5th Battle Squadron and Channel Fleet.

She subsequently participated in the Dardanelles campaign in 1915 before continuing Allied operations in Mediterranean and Adriatic waters.

During the closing stages of the war London was converted for minelaying duties and served with the Grand Fleet.

Historic Verso Material

An important group of historical material survives with the watercolour.

An old handwritten annotation records information concerning HMS London together with details of Edmund Walter Anstice’s service aboard the battleship.

An old newspaper cutting concerns the fuse of the first shell reported to have struck HMS London during the Dardanelles campaign and its subsequent presentation to the Lord Mayor of London.

Also preserved is a historic trade label for J. F. Prowse, Late Randle & Prowse, House Decorator, Gilder & Picture Frame Maker, 200 Union Street, Plymouth.

These historic elements have been retained as part of the work’s documentary record.

Provenance

Private Scottish collection, according to previous cataloguing.

Lindsay Burns & Company, Perth, Scotland, Antiques & Interiors, 5 February 2025, Lot 735, catalogued as “Frank Wood HMS London, 1914 watercolour, signed lower right, dated 1915”.

Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.

Privately loaned to and exhibited at the Famous Lord Hill Museum, Shropshire.

Presentation & Dimensions

Watercolour: approximately 18.5 cm high x 27.5 cm wide.

Current frame: approximately 44 cm high x 53 cm wide x 2 cm deep.

The February 2025 auction record documented the former framed dimensions as approximately 29 x 38 cm.

The watercolour has subsequently been professionally re-presented in a traditional gilt Larson-Juhl frame with a new mount and Tru Vue UltraVue UV70 anti-reflective protective glazing.

Historic documentary material associated with the earlier presentation has been preserved.


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Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution

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