Antique Oil Painting, Gilt Framed, FC Cole, 1903
£475
“Old Salt by the Shore” — Seated Sailor Smoking a Pipe, c.1903
Oil on canvas, signed F. C. Cole
This evocative coastal genre painting depicts a weathered sailor resting by the shoreline, contemplatively smoking his pipe with fishing nets and the sea beyond — a classic maritime subject often referred to as an “Old Salt.” The work is signed F. C. Cole and dated 1903, placing it firmly within the late Victorian / Edwardian tradition of narrative coastal painting.
Description
“Old Salt by the Shore” — Seated Sailor Smoking a Pipe, c.1903
Oil on canvas, signed F. C. Cole
This evocative coastal genre painting depicts a weathered sailor resting by the shoreline, contemplatively smoking his pipe with fishing nets and the sea beyond — a classic maritime subject often referred to as an “Old Salt.” The work is signed F. C. Cole and dated 1903, placing it firmly within the late Victorian / Edwardian tradition of narrative coastal painting.
Executed in oil on canvas, the artist employs warm earth tones and confident brushwork to convey both character and atmosphere, with particular attention paid to the sitter’s expressive features and textured clothing. The subject matter reflects the strong popular interest in seafaring life at the turn of the 20th century, when coastal scenes and working-class maritime portraits were widely exhibited and collected in Britain.
The painting is presented in its original or near-period ornate gilt frame, richly decorated with floral and scrollwork motifs, which complements the composition and enhances its decorative appeal. A highly attractive example of early 20th-century British coastal genre painting, suitable for both traditional and eclectic interiors.
Size 70 x 59 cm – Inner 42 x 33 cm
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