The WEST AUSTRALIAN

Artist Frederick Garling (1806 - 1873)

Datec 1865

Object number00033601

NamePainting

MediumWatercolour on paper

DimensionsOverall: 476 × 672 mm

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection

Collections

Ship portraits

Terms

DescriptionPainting by Frederick Garling titled 'THE WEST AUSTRALIAN'. This watercolour depicts the 600-ton iron barque WEST AUSTRALIAN under full sail. The WEST AUSTRALIAN was built in Hartlepool, England in 1859 for Park Bros before being sold in 1866 to Williamson, Milligan and Co. Trading mostly to South America for 27 years, it was wrecked in 1896.HistoryFrederick Garling was one of the more prolific artists working on marine subjects in Sydney in the mid-19th century. He was born in London on 23 February 1806 and came to Australia with his parents in 1815 aboard the FRANCIS AND ELIZA. From 1827 until 1859 Garling worked for the Customs office as a landing waiter and later as a landing surveyor. His close experience with ships shows in his work - he is thought to have painted most of the vessels that came through Port Jackson during his time as a painter. Garling was self-taught as a marine artist and had a prodigious output of mainly unsigned works. He painted almost exclusively in watercolours with an acute attention to the ship's details, as well as creating dramatic and atmospheric scenes to accompany the ship portrait. In 1827 Garling accompanied Captain James Stirling as official artist on his exploratory expedition to the Swan River in Western Australia. As a semi-professional with some formal training, Garling exhibited at the Promotion of the Fine Arts Society in Sydney in 1847 and 1848. His paintings of ships and yachts are recognised for their fine, evocative and descriptive qualities. He died in Sydney on 16 November 1873. SignificanceThis painting is an example of the maritime watercolours of eminent colonial artist Frederick Garling, characterised by thin washes and even tones which create light, and the precise detail as a result of his close knowledge of ships. Garling painted many of the ships that came to Sydney during the mid-19th century.