Frank Watson Wood HMS London, 1914 – First World War Naval Watercolour, Dated 1915

Frank Watson Wood HMS London, 1914 – First World War Naval Watercolour, 1915

An Historically Important Royal Navy Watercolour From The Opening Period Of The First World War

Highlights

• Original British marine watercolour by Frank Watson Wood (1862–1953).

• Signed “Frank Wood” lower right.

• Dated 1915.

• Inscribed “H.M.S. London 1914”.

• Depicts HMS London, lead vessel of the London class of Royal Navy pre-dreadnought battleships.

• Contemporary First World War subject.

• Associated historically with HMS London’s service with the 5th Battle Squadron during the opening period of the war.

• The squadron performed duties connected with protecting the movement of the British Expeditionary Force across the English Channel.

• Historic handwritten annotation records Midshipman Edmund Walter Anstice’s service aboard HMS London.

• Anstice later became Vice-Admiral Sir Edmund Walter Anstice KCB.

• Historic Dardanelles newspaper cutting retained with the work.

• Historic J. F. Prowse, Plymouth, gilder and picture-frame maker’s label retained.

• Documented Scottish auction provenance.

• Lindsay Burns & Company, Perth, 5 February 2025, Lot 735.

• Privately loaned to and exhibited at the Famous Lord Hill Museum, Shropshire.

• Professionally re-presented in a gilt Larson-Juhl frame with Tru Vue UltraVue UV70 anti-reflective protective glazing.

Introduction

A compelling First World War naval watercolour by Frank Watson Wood (1862–1953), one of the accomplished British marine artists closely associated with representations of the Royal Navy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The watercolour depicts HMS London, the lead vessel of the London class of pre-dreadnought battleships, steaming purposefully through open water.

Wood signed and dated the work in 1915 and inscribed it “H.M.S. London 1914”, connecting the composition directly with the opening period of the First World War.

The battleship is presented in full broadside profile, smoke streaming from her twin funnels as she moves through a lively blue-grey sea. Other naval vessels appear on the distant horizon, while seabirds fly low above the water.

The composition combines the technical observation for which Wood’s naval portraits are recognised with an atmospheric treatment of sea and sky.

Catalogue Details

Artist: Frank Watson Wood (1862–1953)

Title: HMS London, 1914

Date: 1915

Medium: Watercolour on paper

Signature: Signed “Frank Wood” lower right

Date: 1915

Inscription: “H.M.S. London 1914”

Subject: HMS London, Royal Navy

Watercolour dimensions: approximately 18.5 × 27.5 cm

Current framed dimensions: approximately 44 × 53 × 2 cm

Catalogue Note

The historical importance of the watercolour lies principally in the relationship between its inscription and date.

At the outbreak of the First World War HMS London formed part of the 5th Battle Squadron.

The squadron was attached to the Channel Fleet during the opening period of hostilities and undertook duties associated with protecting the movement of the British Expeditionary Force across the English Channel.

Wood’s inscription “H.M.S. London 1914”, together with his signature and date of 1915, strongly suggests that the watercolour was conceived as a contemporary commemoration of the battleship during this important phase of her wartime career.

While this historical interpretation is consistent with the evidence, it has not been established that Wood intended to portray one particular BEF crossing.

The Anstice Association

The work is accompanied by historically interesting handwritten material concerning Edmund Walter Anstice.

Born in 1899, Anstice entered Royal Navy service as a teenager and served aboard HMS London as a midshipman during the First World War.

He subsequently served during the Dardanelles campaign and was wounded.

Anstice went on to enjoy a distinguished naval career, eventually attaining the rank of Vice-Admiral and becoming Sir Edmund Walter Anstice KCB.

The historic handwritten annotation preserved with the watercolour explicitly connects Anstice with HMS London.

Its survival alongside a Frank Watson Wood watercolour of the same ship dated 1915 creates an intriguing possibility that the picture may once have possessed a personal connection with Anstice or his family.

Wood is known to have produced portraits of individual ships for naval officers associated with them, making the possibility worthy of further research.

However, documentary evidence establishing that this particular watercolour was originally commissioned by, presented to or owned by Anstice or his family has not presently been identified. The association is therefore recorded without asserting an Anstice family provenance.

Frank Watson Wood

Frank Watson Wood was born at Berwick-upon-Tweed on 19 September 1862.

After artistic training and a period working in art education, he became a professional painter and developed a particular reputation for marine and naval subjects.

Wood’s move to Portsmouth brought him into close contact with the Royal Navy. Serving and retired naval officers commissioned paintings of ships with which they had been associated, enabling him to develop a detailed understanding of contemporary warships.

His work also attracted royal patronage, with King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra acquiring examples of his watercolours.

In 1918 Wood was among the artists granted access aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth to witness and record the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow.

This privileged access reinforces Wood’s position as an important artistic recorder of the Royal Navy during the First World War.

He continued to paint naval and maritime subjects throughout his long career and died in 1953.

HMS London

HMS London was laid down at Portsmouth Dockyard in December 1898, launched in September 1899 and completed in June 1902.

She was the lead vessel of the London class of pre-dreadnought battleships and displaced approximately 14,700 long tons.

Following the outbreak of the First World War she served with the 5th Battle Squadron and Channel Fleet.

London subsequently participated in the Dardanelles campaign in 1915 and supported Allied operations in the Mediterranean and Adriatic.

During the final stages of the war she was converted for service as a minelayer and operated with the Grand Fleet’s 1st Minelaying Squadron.

She was placed in reserve following the war and subsequently broken up.

Historic Verso Documentation

The surviving historical material associated with the watercolour deserves particular attention.

An old handwritten annotation records specifications relating to HMS London together with details concerning Edmund Walter Anstice’s service aboard the battleship.

An old newspaper cutting preserved with the picture concerns the fuse of the first shell reported to have struck HMS London during operations at the Dardanelles and its subsequent presentation to the Lord Mayor of London.

A surviving trade label reads:

J. F. Prowse
Late Randle & Prowse
House Decorator
Gilder & Picture Frame Maker
200 Union Street
Plymouth

This historical documentary material has been preserved following the later reframing of the watercolour.

Provenance

Private Scottish collection, according to previous cataloguing.

Lindsay Burns & Company, Perth, Scotland, Antiques & Interiors, 5 February 2025, Lot 735, catalogued as “Frank Wood HMS London, 1914 watercolour, signed lower right, dated 1915”.

Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.

Privately loaned to and exhibited at the Famous Lord Hill Museum, Shropshire.

Framing History

When catalogued by Lindsay Burns & Company in February 2025, the watercolour was recorded as measuring 18.5 × 27.5 cm and was contained within a frame measuring approximately 29 × 38 cm.

It has subsequently been professionally re-presented in a larger traditional gilt Larson-Juhl frame with a new mount and Tru Vue UltraVue UV70 anti-reflective protective glazing.

Historic labels, annotations and documentary material associated with the earlier presentation have been preserved.

Dimensions

Watercolour: approximately 18.5 cm high × 27.5 cm wide.

Current frame: approximately 44 cm high × 53 cm wide × 2 cm deep.

Condition Report

Offered in good antique condition consistent with age.

Areas of age-related foxing and staining are visible to the paper, particularly within portions of the lighter sky.

The watercolour nevertheless retains good definition, attractive colour and atmospheric maritime tonality.

The work has been professionally re-presented behind specialist protective glazing and is ready for wall display.

Please refer closely to the accompanying photographs as these form an integral part of the condition report.

Shipping

Worldwide shipping is available.

The framed watercolour will be professionally packaged using appropriate protective materials and dispatched fully insured.

International buyers are welcome. Please contact us for a destination-specific delivery quotation or to discuss any particular shipping requirements.

Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution

The artwork will be supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, recording the artwork’s catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated, and details of the sale. This document accompanies the work as part of its ongoing ownership and provenance record.

Attribution and Research

The historical observations, provenance research, attribution analysis and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. They are offered in good faith as informed scholarly assessments based upon the available evidence, comparative research, published reference material and our experience within the international fine art market.

These observations should be understood as professional opinions rather than definitive statements of fact or guarantees of authorship, attribution, date, origin, provenance or historical interpretation. As with all historic works of art, future documentary discoveries, technical examination, conservation analysis or advances in academic research may refine, expand or revise current interpretations.

Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®

Specialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art.

Every artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market. We are committed to offering collectors works of artistic and historical merit accompanied by transparent provenance research, detailed catalogue descriptions and professional, client-focused service.

Additional photographs and further information are available upon request.