John Edward Bale

JOHN EDWARD BALE (Norfolk, 1834 - Colchester, 1913)
"Harbour scene with sailing ships".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower right corner.
It has slight craquelure in some areas.
With damage to the frame.
Measurements: 29 × 40 cm, 49 × 59 cm (frame).

Seafaring composition of great atmospheric quality in which Bale represents an animated port by means of a staggered disposition of sailboats, generating depth and a careful transition towards a horizon wrapped in mist. The light, delicately treated, is reflected in the water by glazes that contrast with the warm tones of the sails and boats.

John Edward Bale was a British painter and military man. He exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in the 1850s with architectural views of churches in Norfolk, and later participated in the Ipswich Fine Art Club (1886-1890), where he presented works such as View from Museum Street, Colchester and In St John's Street, Colchester. He combined his artistic activity with a military career in the West India Regiment, reaching the rank of major, and produced illustrations for the Illustrated London News during his postings abroad.