Salamanders, St-Tropez by Sir William Russell Flint

Provenance:
Lyon & Turnbull, "British & European Paintings", London, 30 April 2014, lot 49
Private Estate, Toronto

This work presents an idyllic scene of two figures fishing with salamanders, holding tall, sweeping poles set against the blue waters and the shore lined with buildings in neutral tones. The seaside town depicted is St-Tropez on the French Riviera, and its location can be identified by the bell tower of the church of Notre-Dame de l’Assomption rising in the distance in shades of ochre and sienna colours. The citadel dominating the hillside in the upper right corner further supports this as the location. The British watercolourist’s fascination for France is undeniable, where he travelled extensively in search of striking vistas to be swiftly captured and painted.