Frank Brangwyn

Frank Brangwyn first traveled to the coastal village of Sandwich, England in 1883 at the age of seventeen, the first stop of a sketching tour following his studies under William Morris. Brangwyn described his time in Sandwich as follows: "During the day I worked hard at my sketching, and by night I hobnobbed with the ship's captains who frequented the inn in which I lodged. One of these mariner's was a man of some artistic ability, and soon we became great friends. Thus the time passed very pleasantly--until funds began to run low, and eventually ran out altogether. Expected supplies from home did not arrive. While the people of the inn were most kind and considerate, the situation was unpleasant, though I daresay my imagination made it worse than it was" (Shaw-Sparrow 1911, p. 17). In Sandwich, Brangwyn supported himself by the sale of drawings and watercolors such as the McCrindle sheet, and his first exhibited paintings were worked up from these sketches (no painting has yet been connected to this particular sheet). In this watercolor, Brangwyn presents a picturesque view of Sandwich harbor, emphasizing the rhythmic patterns of the ships' masts and the overlapping roofs of the village cottages. Works cited: Walter Shaw-Sparrow, Frank Brangwyn and his Work (Boston: Dana Estes & Co., 1911).