Harold Steggles (British, b. 1911-1971)

Harold Steggles came to the fore in the 1930s, exhibiting widely, including at the Contemporary Art Society and the Lefèvre Gallery. His pared-down, earthy style captured the back-to-nature spirit that emerged in the 1930s, whilst remaining distinctively his own. He specialised in landscape painting, above all views of Suffolk, Essex and Cornwall; his crystalline oil paintings of seaside subjects are among his finest. In the present painting his style is instantly recognisable by the tonal vibrancy of sky and sea, and the form of the boatshed – such sheds and barns were recurrent focal points in his oils. A similar painting of Wharf Buildings is in the Brighton & Hove Museums. It was Steggles’ instant visual impact that earned him commissions from Shell for their series of posters in 1934 (other artists in the series included Ben Nicholson). This resulted in a memorable series of images of Suffolk.

Reference: ‘New Paintings by Harold Steggles’, Reid & Lefrèvre, 1938.