Thomas Luny

Essay:

Described as “one of the leading figures in the third generation of British marine painters” by Wilson and “one of our leading painters of the sea and shipping” by Grant, this artist was born in Cornwall in 1759 and moved to London at the age of eleven.

By 1773 Luny was a pupil of the fine London based marine painter Francis Holman and his early work clearly shows this influence. In 1791 he bought a house on Mark Lane near Leadenhall Street where the British East India Company had its headquarters. This was a shrewd move on Luny's part. As well as receiving commissions from the Company it also allowed Luny access to sketches of distant lands and ports. Luny did not travel himself apart from a trip to Paris in 1777, and so relied on sketches and first-hand accounts by sailors for many of his paintings. However, it has been suggested that Luny enlisted in the Navy in 1793.

After retiring to Teignmouth in around 1810 he painted many Devonshire coastal views and even a few inland and rural scenes. He continued to paint assiduously for the rest of his life in spite of arthritis in his hands. Many of his works were engraved and the Literary Gazette of 1837 gives a description of an exhibition of his work held in Bond Street, London.

He exhibited a total of 35 paintings from 1777 onwards including 29 at the Royal Academy with titles such as “Battle of the Nile”, “A sunset with a view of Westminster from the Surrey side”, “Engagement between Admiral Parker and the Dutch off the Doggerbank”, “Morning with a seventy four gun ship getting underweigh from the Nore” and “View on the Thames with the yacht and boats of a private family”.

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This work by Thomas Luny dated 1816 depicts Cannanore (today called Kannur), a port city on the Malabar coast in south-west India. A British East Indiaman is anchored in the bay and a boat rowed by Muslim Lascars in white salwar kamise and Islamic caps is speeding towards the vessel. In the distant harbour are numerous ship's masts, a church tower, and white walled, red roofed Company factories. The coast quickly rises up into lush hills with a sunrise behind them.

Cannanore was a significant trading port and the headquarters of the British East India Company military on the west coast of India. The port was captured by the British in 1790 during the Third Anglo-Mysore War. The area had been controlled by the Muslim majority Arakkal kingdom until it was ceded by Tipu Sultan to the British.

In Luny's picture the port has the hallmarks of a British territorial foothold indicated by the church, the Company factories, and the presence of British shipping. The presence of the hills rising behind the coast (though somewhat exaggerated in Luny's picture) helps to narrow down the list of potential locals as most other ports on the Malabar coast are surrounded by flat land with Cannanore being the exception.

A note on the provenance:
Sir Edward Greene 3rd Bt. came from the brewing family who founded the Bury St. Edmunds brewery Greene King. The title became extinct upon Sir Edward's death in 1966.

Thanks to Charles Grieg for suggesting Cannanore as the location depicted by Luny.

Provenance:

Sir Edward Allan Greene, 3rd Bt. (1882 - 1966), according to a label, verso.
Private collection, UK.