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DESCRIPTION:
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This is an outstanding painting by British marine painter, Thomas Luny (1759-1837), entitled The American Brig “Vixen” Passing Sambro Lighthouse, Nova Scotia. Sambro Lighthouse, built in 1758, remains the oldest working lighthouse in North America, and is situated in the second largest ice-free harbor in the world: Halifax Harbor. Luny does an excellent job of rendering the treacherous shoals that Sambro Lighthouse has famously illuminated, as the American brig Vixen is shown bravely attempting to navigate Halifax Harbor's waters. The two-masted vessel leans precariously to its starboard side amidst a pool of mountain-like waves. Flocks of seagulls are also pictured flying in utter disarray, fighting to overcome a supremely powerful gust of wind. The sky in the work's background assumes a noticeably lighter silver hue than the firmament seen in the painting’s foreground. Moreover, in the former region, the sun’s rays blaze through the clouds, dramatically spotlighting the seemingly unshakable Sambro Lighthouse. This masterfully rendered composition constitutes a superb example of a premier, nineteenth-century, British, marine oil painting.
Luny was born in Cornwall, England in 1759. He moved to London at the age of 11 and soon after began an apprenticeship under the London marine painter, Francis Holman. Holman's works strongly influenced the style of the young artist, and Luny would remain in Holman's studio for the next decade. In September 1777, Luny left London for a visit to Paris and likely made a trip to Portugal during that time period as well. Nevertheless, Luny returned to London repeatedly to exhibit his work at the Royal Academy. Royal Academy exhibitions featured Luny’s work in 1780, 1802, and decades later in 1837.
In 1780, Luny opened up his own studio in London. Three years later he met Mr. Merle, a dealer and framer who promoted Luny's paintings for the rest of the artist's career. Luny's studio was housed on Leadenhall Street, the same address as the headquarters of the East India Company. As such, Luny received numerous commissions from the company's officers, and was thus enabled to travel to locations as widespread as Naples, Italy, Gibraltar, and Charleston, South Carolina.
In 1793, at the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars, Luny reportedly joined the Navy as a purser, serving under Captain George Tobin, R.N. Luny would not exhibit any more of his works for the remainder of the century, but retired from the Navy in 1810 due to his contraction of rheumatoid arthritis. Though Luny would spend the rest of his life dealing with this debilitating condition, his artistic output remained impressive. During his lifetime it is estimated that he produced more than 3,000 paintings, many of these of ship portraits and depictions of naval battles. Luny's works are part of the collections of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter.
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