Stormy Seas off a Rocky Coast   - Attributed to Sarah Louisa Kilpack 1839-1909

Oil on Card

Overall size 430mm x 360mm (17" x 14")  

A wonderfully atmospheric late nineteenth-century marine painting, attributed to the British artist Sarah Louisa Kilpack (1839–1909).

Beneath a dramatic, cloud-filled sky, waves break heavily around a group of dark rocks while seabirds circle above the water. On the distant horizon a small sailing vessel battles through the swell, its delicately painted masts and sails providing a striking sense of scale against the turbulent sea.

The painting is inscribed “S. L. Kilpack” on the reverse. Although unsigned on the painted surface, its subject and handling are consistent with the coastal paintings for which Kilpack became particularly well known. She frequently worked on a small scale and was fascinated by the rocky coastlines and rapidly changing weather of the Channel Islands, particularly Jersey.  

Kilpack was born in Covent Garden, London, in 1839 and initially pursued a successful career as a pianist before increasingly devoting herself to painting. From the 1860s onwards she made repeated visits to the Channel Islands, whose dramatic coastline provided inspiration for many of her most characteristic works. She exhibited extensively during her lifetime, including 119 works at the Society of Women Artists between 1867 and 1909. Examples of her work are today held in a number of British public collections.   

Condition: The painting has been professionally cleaned and conserved in our studio, revealing considerably greater depth and definition throughout the sea and sky. It is presented in an ornate gilt frame, chosen to complement the dramatic character of the painting.  

The price includes free international shipping.