#MC38
1874
Watercolour on paper ca. 22x32,5 cm (8 ½ x 12 ¾ in). Period ink caption on verso. A very good watercolour, mounted in a recent mat.
Large attractive watercolour by an unknown artist, showing the Torquay harbour and city from the grounds of the Livermead House hotel. The view depicts picturesque houses and cliffs, several ships in the harbour, with a fishing boat and a peasant with his horse in the foreground. In the early 19th century “the town began to develop into a fashionable seaside resort, initially frequented by members of the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars while the Royal Navy anchored in the bay. Later, as the town's fame spread, it was popular with the crème de la crème of Victorian society. Renowned for its healthful climate, the town earned the nickname of the English Riviera and favourable comparisons to Montpellier. Torquay was the home of the writer Agatha Christie, who was born in the town and lived there during her early years” (Wikipedia).
