Impressive 19th Century oil painting of King’s Lynn’s South Quay

In our fortnightly Picture This column, Lynn Museum’s Newman curator Dayna Woolbright looks at a 19th Century oil painting…

This impressive oil painting by local artist Henry Baines (1820-1875) is full of movement and activity.

It was painted somewhere between 1855 and 1865 and depicts the busy Lynn South Quay with a large, docked ship in the centre with sails unfurled, billowing in the wind.

As our eyes travel upwards, the sails merge with the white and pink clouds, scudding dramatically across the sky.

In the much darker foreground, various figures are seen painting pitch onto the sides of another sailing ship lying on her side.

Overseeing the whole scene is the majestic St Margaret’s Church (now Lynn Minster).