ARTIST: William Shayer I (England, 1788 - 1879)
NAME: Landscape - Harbor Scene
MEDIUM: oil on canvas
CONDITION: One tear/hole. Relined. Very minor craquelure. No visible inpaint under UV light.
SIGHT SIZE: 24 x 33 inches / 60 x 83 cm
FRAME SIZE: unframed
SIGNATURE: Lower right
CATEGORY: antique vintage painting
SKU#: 116564
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BIOGRAPHY:
William Shayer was a landscape and animal painter. A self-taught artist, he lived in Southampton, and painted mostly in Hampshire and the New Forest. His work falls into two distinct categories; firstly, wooded scenes with gypsies, rustic figures and animals, and secondly, beach or coastal scenes with boats
and fisherfolk. His landscape paintings admirably present an image and spirit of rural life in Southern England.
Shayer first earned his living in Southampton painting decorations on rush bottom chairs. He then moved to Guildford to work as a coach painter. The skill Shayer acquired in the lesser genres provided him with a thorough technical grounding that proved of use to him in his chosen profession of landscape
artist. His career was helped considerably by the patronage of Michael Hoy, a popular and wealthy Southampton merchant, who owned extensive estates. Shayer reputedly chose to live in Shirley because of the beautiful skies that are typical of that locality. His love of the countryside of the South Coast,
which prevented his move to London, is clearly evident in his paintings. He sometimes collaborated with Edward Charles Williams. His son, William J Shayer, was also a painter. Shayer was a remarkably prolific exhibitor. He exhibited two hundred and forty-six paintings in the major London galleries, three
hundred and thirty-eight at the Society of British artists, six at the Royal Academy and eighty-two at the British Institution.