Naval Officer’s Expedition Drawing Going Under The Hammer
A signed ink and pencil drawing by Royal Naval officer and artist William Smyth of a Brazilian village during a 19th century South American expedition is coming up for auction at a Shropshire fine art auction house Today.
The drawing of Lupuna, at the confluence of the rivers Huayabamba and Huallaga, is valued at up to £600 and has been consigned to Halls’ auction of fine paintings, silver and jewellery at the Welsh Bridge saleroom in Shrewsbury.
Smyth(1800-’87), served as a midshipman and mate on the 'Blossom' in the Pacific between 1825–28 and was commissioned lieutenant during that voyage. From 1831 to early ’35, he served under Captain Charles Henry Paget on the 'Samarang', crossed the Andes and made a voyage down the Amazon.
He later published an account of this journey - 'Narrative of Journey from Lima to Para', 1836 - jointly with a fellow officer, Frederick Lowe. From May 1836, he was senior lieutenant of the 'Terror' on Captain George Back's North-West Passage expedition to the Wager River. Smyth Harbour on Southampton Island, Hudson Bay and Cape Smyth near Point Barrow, Alaska are reputedly named after him.
Although most naval officers learnt to draw for navigational reasons, Smyth had artistic talent and produced fine drawings and watercolours of his travels, including ship portraits.
His views on the North-West Passage expedition were lithographed to illustrate the official account and he became a lifelong Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He rose by seniority to admiral on the retired list in December 1875 and died two years later.
Source: UKauctionnews