Lot Essay
A painter and watercolourist of coastal scenes, Mogford was born in London of a Devonshire family, but returned to the south west to find inspiration. In his depiction of rocks and cliffs he sometimes evokes the Pre-Raphaelite intensity of John Brett, and his work was much admired in his lifetime. He exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1846 and 1881, as well as at the British Institution, the Royal Society of British Artists, and the Grosvenor Gallery. Ever prolific, he showed a total of 292 watercolours at the New Watercolour Society.
The present example is typical of his work and depicts Pendennis, one of a chain of castles along the south coast built by Henry VIII in response to the threat of French invasion in 1546. It stands guard over the small fishing town of St. Mawes.
The present example is typical of his work and depicts Pendennis, one of a chain of castles along the south coast built by Henry VIII in response to the threat of French invasion in 1546. It stands guard over the small fishing town of St. Mawes.