Edward Hersey Lake Windermere Fairline Yacht Oil Painting
Edward Hersey (British, b. 1948)
Motor Yacht off the Coast, Late 20th Century
Signed British Oil Painting | Fairline Squadron 50 Yacht Portrait
Highlights
• A large signed marine painting by Edward Hersey.
• An uncommon contemporary-yacht subject within the artist’s body of work.
• Depicts a substantial flybridge motor cruiser under a luminous blue sky.
• The vessel is visually consistent with a 1990s Fairline Squadron 50.
• Signed by the artist to the lower right.
• Panoramic oil on canvas measuring 91.5 cm across.
• Documented auction provenance from Toovey’s in West Sussex.
• Newly presented within a premium Larson-Juhl gilt frame.
• Included within a privately curated modern-marine exhibition.
• Ideally suited to yacht clubs, waterfront residences and refined contemporary interiors.
Introduction
An impressive late 20th-century oil painting by Edward Hersey, portraying a modern flybridge yacht moving through calm coastal water.
Hersey is best known for his meticulously observed paintings of rural Britain. This signed marine composition is therefore a particularly unusual example of his work, transferring his characteristic precision, controlled lighting and balanced realism to a contemporary motor vessel.
The boat was described by Toovey’s as a motor cruise boat off the coast. Its distinctive profile suggests a Fairline Squadron 50 or a closely related model from the late 1990s, although no documentary evidence currently confirms the precise vessel or location.
Catalogue Details
Artist: Edward Hersey (British, b. 1948)
Title: Motor Yacht off the Coast
Modern market title: Windermere Ascendancy
Date: Late 20th century, probably late 1990s
Medium: Oil on canvas
Subject: Modern British flybridge motor yacht
Suggested model: Fairline Squadron 50 or related Fairline design
Location: Unidentified coastal waters
Signature: Signed lower right
Frame: Recently fitted Larson-Juhl gilt moulded frame
Catalogue Note
The yacht crosses the composition from left to right, its long profile positioned against a broad expanse of sky and water.
Hersey’s horizontal arrangement gives the image a strong sense of direction. The angular structure of the vessel is contrasted with the naturally changing forms of clouds, reflections and waves.
The foreground water is treated with active directional strokes, creating an impression of speed and displacement. Behind the vessel, the wake breaks into rhythmic bands of white, blue and grey before gradually dissolving into the quieter middle distance.
A scattering of birds occupies the upper sky. Their small scale helps communicate the openness of the setting and adds life without interrupting the yacht’s visual dominance.
The boat itself is described with close attention to engineering and design. Hersey defines its pale hull, dark window bands, flybridge arrangement, radar arch, portlights and aft platform through controlled tonal modelling and fine linear detail.
Palette and Handling
The water moves from deep blue and navy tones in the foreground to lighter, calmer reflections towards the horizon. Green undertones suggest the changing colour of light across the surface.
The hull and superstructure are painted in crisp whites and pearl greys. Darker slate tones define the window lines and architectural details, while small highlights suggest sunlight reflecting from the polished GRP surfaces.
Soft white and pale-grey clouds are distributed across a clear blue sky. Their restrained modelling provides atmosphere while maintaining the calm character of the scene.
The combination of detailed yacht construction and fluidly painted water demonstrates Hersey’s ability to alternate between precise draughtsmanship and broader atmospheric handling.
The Fairline Connection
The depicted vessel displays features associated with Fairline’s Squadron range of British flybridge motor yachts.
Its proportions correspond particularly closely with a Squadron 50 dating from the 1990s. Comparable examples were approximately 15.3 metres long and generally equipped with twin diesel engines and three-cabin accommodation.
Typical specifications varied according to year and engine choice but included:
• Planing fibreglass or GRP hull construction.
• Twin inboard diesel engines.
• Cruising speeds around 20–22 knots.
• Maximum speeds approaching 30 knots.
• Elevated flybridge with secondary helm position.
• Three-cabin interior arrangement.
• Integrated bathing platform.
• Curved radar arch and broad horizontal window bands.
Several of these distinguishing features are visible in the painting, including its three oval portlights, elevated flybridge and curved arch.
The identification remains a visual assessment. Without an original commission record, vessel name or artist’s inscription, it cannot be stated as conclusive.
Late-20th-Century Yacht Culture
British yards played an important role in the development of high-performance motor yachts during the closing decades of the 20th century.
Builders including Fairline combined seagoing capability with spacious interiors, refined materials and distinctive streamlined profiles. Large flybridge yachts became increasingly prominent within British and international leisure boating.
Hersey’s painting belongs to a modern extension of the ship-portrait tradition. Rather than commemorating a naval vessel or historic sailing ship, it records the engineering and aesthetic identity of a contemporary leisure craft.
Its atmosphere remains deliberately calm. The yacht is presented as composed and purposeful, moving through open water beneath settled weather.
The Artist
Edward Hersey was born in Croydon, Surrey, in 1948 and became known for realistic yet idealised depictions of Britain’s rural landscape.
Farm buildings, country lanes, livestock, rivers and snow-covered agricultural scenes form the principal subjects of his established work.
His paintings are distinguished by carefully observed architectural detail, subtle atmospheric lighting and a nostalgic sense of rural tranquillity. These qualities have helped Hersey develop a loyal following among collectors of traditional British painting.
Motor Yacht off the Coast is an unusual addition to that body of work. Although its subject is modern and maritime, it retains the detailed observation, measured composition and controlled tonal effects associated with his better-known landscapes.
Signature
Signed “Edward Hersey” to the lower right.
Provenance
Private collection, West Sussex.
Sold through Toovey’s, Washington, West Sussex, on 18 February 2026, catalogued as Motor Cruise Boat off the Coast.
Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.
Private exhibition record:
Power & Prestige: Modern Marine Icons of the Late 20th Century, Lord Hill Museum.
The precise exhibition date should be confirmed, as the previously supplied March 2025 date predates the documented auction acquisition.
Dimensions
Canvas:
91.5 cm wide × 61 cm high
Framed:
107.5 cm wide × 77 cm high × 5 cm deep
All measurements are approximate.
Framing
The canvas has recently been placed within a substantial Larson-Juhl gilt moulded frame.
Its restrained gilded finish complements the painting’s white, blue and pearl-grey palette while providing a strong gallery presentation.
The artwork is fully prepared for immediate display.
Condition Report
The painting remains in very good overall condition.
The canvas is stable and retains appropriate tension. The paint surface appears clean and secure, with no obvious structural instability under normal visual examination.
A small number of brown spots or foxing-like marks can be seen in the upper part of the sky. These are minor but remain visible upon close inspection.
The recent Larson-Juhl frame presents in excellent overall condition.
The catalogue photographs form an important part of the condition assessment. Further close-up images and information are available upon request.
Shipping
Worldwide delivery is available.
The painting will be professionally packaged using suitable protective materials and fully insured for transit. Please contact us for a tailored international shipping quotation or to arrange collection.
Attribution & Research Notice
The vessel identification, dating, location assessment, provenance research, historical observations and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional, non-guaranteed opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. They are offered in good faith as informed assessments based upon the visible signature, subject, stylistic analysis, available provenance, documented auction record, comparative yacht research, published reference material and professional experience within the international fine art market.
Toovey’s catalogued the painting as Motor Cruise Boat off the Coast. Its possible identification as a Fairline Squadron 50 is based upon visual comparison of the hull form, portlights, flybridge, windows and radar arch. No surviving commission record or artist’s inscription presently confirms the exact model. Windermere Ascendancy is a modern descriptive market title. The specific location of Lake Windermere is not recorded within the known auction provenance and cannot be established from the landscape alone.
The suggested late-1990s date is based principally upon the vessel’s apparent design and the character of the painting rather than a documented date of execution. The previously supplied March 2025 exhibition date conflicts with the February 2026 auction chronology and should be amended once the correct date has been confirmed.mAs with all works of art, future documentary discoveries, technical examination or further scholarly 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.mEvery 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.
