At the age of 15, the career for landscape painter Claude Grahame Muncaster, RWS, ROI, RBA, SMA began, and he soon took to the seas, spending the 1920s and ‘30s traveling the world with his sketchbook in a series of vessels. With the outbreak of war, he joined the RNVR training as a navigator. Having left school at 15, his understanding of mathematics was very weak, and it was a relief for all when his artistic talents meant he was recruited as a camoufleur.
A master of capturing seascapes, Muncaster was, therefore, able to hide huge ships in plain sight with clever disguises. After the war, he painted for the Royal Family and was a frequent guest at Sandringham. Muncaster was a watercolorist known for his landscapes and maritime scenes.
Born Grahame Hall, Muncaster was the son of the Royal Academician Oliver Hall, who taught his son to paint from an early age. He first exhibited his work at 15 and a few years later was showing at the Royal Academy. However, he adopted the name Claude Muncaster in 1922 to dissociate his career from that of his father. Muncaster’s primary choice of subject matter came from a genuine love of the sea. He made several long-distance sea voyages, including one around the Horn as a deckhand in the windjammer Olivebank in 1931, which he described in Rolling Round the Horn, published in 1933. Armed with a sketchbook, Muncaster aimed to be able to paint ships and the sea with greater authority. This he certainly achieved, perfectly capturing the limpid first light of morning over the Port of Aden, the choppy rain-grey waters of the Bay of Biscay and a streak of sunlight through gathering storm clouds at dusk in Exeter.
Muncaster became an associate of the Royal Watercolour Society in 1931 and was a founding member, and later president, of the Royal Society of Marine Artists. During the Second World War, Muncaster served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) from 1940–44, training as a navigator before going on to advise on the camouflage of ships, and also worked as an official war artist. In 1946–47, he was commissioned by the Queen to produce watercolors of the royal residences at Windsor, Sandringham and Balmoral, the Duke of Edinburgh, in a foreword to a biography of Muncaster, recalls looking at these and considering the artist’s unerring instinct for a subject, his sense of atmosphere. Other commissions included large panoramas of the Thames and Bradford. Muncaster's career also included work as an etcher, illustrator, writer, lecturer and broadcaster, and his paintings can be found in the Royal Academy, Tate, National Maritime Museum Cornwall, National Railway Museum and Royal Air Force Museum.
John Northcote Nash watercolour of The Falls near Denbigh, North Wales
By John Northcote Nash CBE RA
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
John Northcote Nash CBE RA (British, 1893–1977) The Falls near Denbigh Pencil and watercolour with squaring Signed lower left: John Nash 8.375 x 10.875 in. (21.5 x 27.5 cm) A finely...
Watercolor, Pencil
1971 John Northcote Nash watercolour of China Clay Dumps in St. Austell Cornwall
By John Northcote Nash CBE RA
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
John Northcote Nash CBE RA (British, 1893–1977) China Clay Dumps, St. Austell, 1971 Pencil on watercolour Signed and dated lower left: John Nash 1971 13.25 x 22 in. (33.7 x 55.8 cm) ...
Watercolor, Pencil
British expressive, mid century watercolour 'A classical allegory' Basil Town
By Norman Basil Town
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Norman Basil Town (British, 1915 – 1987) A classical allegory Pen and ink 6.3/4 x 9.1/4 in. (17.2 x 23.3 cm.) Norman Basil Town (1905–1984) was a British artist known for his evocat...
Paper, Ink, Pen
American 20th century landscape painting of St. Mary's Abbey York by Horton
By William Samuel Horton
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
William Samuel Horton (American, 1865–1936) St. Mary’s Abbey, York Pastel on paper Signed lower left ‘William S. Horton’ 17½ × 23 in. (44.5 × 58.5 cm) Provenance: From the estate of ...
Paper, Pastel
Large landscape watercolour by Cornish artist Fred Yates of La Riviere Lafare
By Fred Yates
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
A beautiful and serene watercolour painting by Cornish artist Fred Yates. This large example of his work highlights his ability to balance colour and light in an expressive manner. ...
Watercolor
Modern British 20th C watercolour drawing of Thetis laments by Hughes-Stanton
By Blair Hughes-Stanton
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Blair Hughes-Stanton – ‘Thetis Laments’ 1952 The watercolour is signed by the artist lower right in pencil 'Blair HS' and dated (19)52. It was exhibited in June 1954 at The Leicester...
Ink, Watercolor
Framed 19th Century Watercolour - Abbey Ruins
Located in Corsham, GB
This beautiful 19th-century watercolour captures the haunting beauty of abbey ruins. The artist skilfully frames crumbling Gothic arches and ivy-covered walls through a large foregro...
Watercolor
Claude Muncaster Shap Farmhouse Cumbria Watercolour England Britain art painting
By Claude Muncaster
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings from Claude Muncaster's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this seller." Claude Muncaster (1903-1974) Shap Farmhouse Signed and inscribed to reverse Watercolour 19x29cm Muncaster's watercolours capture the English countryside feel with great competence. Here he records a farmhouse in the Market Town of Shap in Cumbria. This remote village has had a market charter since the seventeenth century so although small is officially a Market Town. Claude Grahame Muncaster, RWS, ROI, RBA, SMA was the son of Oliver Hall RA. At the age of fifteen his career as a landscape painter began, and he soon took to the seas, spending the 1920s and 30s travelling the world with his sketchbook in a series of vessels. With the outbreak of war and he joined the RNVR training as a navigator. Having left school at fifteen his mathematics was very weak and it was a relief for all when his artistic talents meant he was recruited as a camofleur. A master of capturing seascapes he was therefore able to hide huge ships ‘in plain sight’ with clever disguises. After the war he painted for the Royal Family and was a frequent guest at Sandringham. Claude Muncaster was a watercolourist known for his landscapes and maritime scenes. He was born Grahame Hall, the son of the Royal Academician Oliver Hall who taught his son to paint from an early age; Grahame first exhibited his work aged 15 and a few years later was showing at the RA. However, he adopted the name Claude Muncaster in 1922 to dissociate his career from that of his father. Muncaster’s primary choice of subject matter came from a genuine love of the sea. He made several long-distance sea voyages, including one around the Horn...
Watercolor
Derek Watson - 20th Century Watercolour, Ruins
Located in Corsham, GB
A delightful watercolour painting with pen and ink details by Derek Watson. The scene depicts a landscape view with ruins of an engine house. Signed to the lower left-hand corner. We...
Watercolor
Arthur Suker (1857-1902) - Late 19th Century Watercolour, Grounds of Ruins
Located in Corsham, GB
Depicting a serene rural scene featuring old stone ruins surrounded by lush greenery and a meadow. To the right of the composition, a woman lays out laundry in the extensive grounds,...
Watercolor
Framed Late 19th Century Watercolour - Flocked by Abbey Ruins
Located in Corsham, GB
A fine watercolour depiction of figures and sheep before abbey ruins. The flock look happy grazing beneath the ornate arches, undisturbed by the couple of women resting in the foregr...
Watercolor
Early 20th Century Watercolour - The Cloister
Located in Corsham, GB
A delicate early 20th century study of a church captured with soft washes and a gentle hand. Signed indistinctly to the lower right. Well presented behind glass in a swept gilt frame...
Watercolor
