Frederick Waters Watts, The Menai Strait

Frederick Waters Watts, The Menai StraitThis picturesque mid 19th century oil painting by English artist Frederick Waters Watts (1801 1870) depicts the Menai Strait in North Wales. It presents a sweeping view along the strait, with the curving shoreline, distant sailing vessels, and a hill top structure anchoring the expansive scene beyond. The deft composition draws us gently forward along the stone roadway in the foreground, where a lone rider moves quietly away, accompanied by baskets

A weary dog has seen it all before

most are short-lived so it helps to date the piece to around 1810

Allan Ramsay II

There’s a Dickensian spirit underpinning this charming little piece and it’s remarkably well executed by a well-trained hand

Reinhold Werner (1864-1939)

and it served as both ornament and omen: a talisman of vigilance and a subtle echo of ancient Rome

Held in an 18th-century Louis XV-style carved and gilded frame with scrolling rocaille ornament

This early 20th-century oil on canvas by Danish artist Gudmund Stenersen (1863-1934) depicts a tranquil river landscape

are very much evoked in Niemann’s oeuvre

This beautifully worn 19th-century landscape has darkened over time giving it an intriguing atmospheric appearance

alongside works by Rubens

if you ever find yourself in a similar situation