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Lot Essay
With all its hints of exotic mystery, this arrestingly beautiful composition by Brierly, dated 1887, is extremely reminiscent of some of Edward William Cooke's famous Venetian views a generation earlier. Whilst it purports to show merely a charming serenissima view of Venice's distinctive skyline across the city's lagoon however, it also poses a fascinating artistic enigma. In addition to the traditional bragozzi [two-masted local fishing boats with colourful lugsails] coming into port, Brierly has also portrayed a large schooner-rigged English steam yacht entering the lagoon from the sea. A meticulous rendition of the signal flags at her foremasthead identifies her as the Cuhona but it is her owner's name, rather than that of the vessel herself, that gives rise to the speculation.
Designed by St. Clare J. Byrne of Liverpool and launched from the Earle's Shipbuilding & Engineering Company's yard at Hull in 1882, Cuhona was a large three-masted iron schooner registered at 344 tons gross (234 net & 498 Thames) and measuring 163½ feet in length with a 26 foot beam. Her artistic connection lies in the fact that she was built for none other than Sir Andrew Barclay Walker, the immensely wealthy Liverpool philanthropist who, amongst many other benefactions, built the Walker Art Gallery and presented it to his home city in 1877. Walker, who was born in 1824 and made a large fortune in brewing, devoted much of his life and energy to Liverpool, serving twice as its Lord Mayor, and Lancashire of which he was Sheriff in 1886. Knighted in 1877 and created a baronet in 1886, he became the first honorary freeman of Liverpool in 1890 and died in February 1893 leaving an estate worth a colossal £2,876,781. Although no record of any association between Walker and Sir Oswald Walters Brierly has been discovered, it is intriguing to speculate whether the inclusion of Walker's private yacht into Brierly's masterwork was a deliberate compliment or entirely coincidental.
Designed by St. Clare J. Byrne of Liverpool and launched from the Earle's Shipbuilding & Engineering Company's yard at Hull in 1882, Cuhona was a large three-masted iron schooner registered at 344 tons gross (234 net & 498 Thames) and measuring 163½ feet in length with a 26 foot beam. Her artistic connection lies in the fact that she was built for none other than Sir Andrew Barclay Walker, the immensely wealthy Liverpool philanthropist who, amongst many other benefactions, built the Walker Art Gallery and presented it to his home city in 1877. Walker, who was born in 1824 and made a large fortune in brewing, devoted much of his life and energy to Liverpool, serving twice as its Lord Mayor, and Lancashire of which he was Sheriff in 1886. Knighted in 1877 and created a baronet in 1886, he became the first honorary freeman of Liverpool in 1890 and died in February 1893 leaving an estate worth a colossal £2,876,781. Although no record of any association between Walker and Sir Oswald Walters Brierly has been discovered, it is intriguing to speculate whether the inclusion of Walker's private yacht into Brierly's masterwork was a deliberate compliment or entirely coincidental.