signed, dated and inscribed lower right: 'TF Sorrento D 22/5 ‘34'
oil on paper laid down on card
5 ¾ x 10 1/16 in. (145 x 255 mm)
Provenance
Hofjägermeister Thomas Fearnley (only son of the artist) 1841-1927; Shipowner Thomas Fearnley (grandson of the artist), 1880 –1961; By family descent, until 2006
Some idea of the speed of Fearnley’s sketching technique may be gained from this vibrant study of the sunset on 22nd May, 1834. Observing the precise lightning conditions and cloud formation along the Sorrento coast Fearnley would have had less than thirty minutes to capture the scene. Primarily he was interested in recording the setting sun as accurately as possible and he only fleetingly and thinly renders the details of the coastline.
