Samuel John Milton Brown, watercolour of a battleship, probably Rodney

Samuel John Milton Brown (1873-1965)

Samuel John Milton Brown was born in Liverpool on April 13th, 1873. Aged fourteen, he was apprenticed to a firm of lithographic artists. Young Sam when not at his desk spent much of his early life exploring Liverpool docks, studying the rigging of the ships that filled the port. These were informative years that gave him the knowledge to be able to put what he saw onto paper. Brown was not entirely self-taught; he studied at the Liverpool School of Art under John Finnie, a well-known engraver and landscape artist.

Sam Brown worked mostly with watercolour though there are oil paintings by him to be found. His pencil sketches are also very collectable, being of very high-quality.

Brown spent his latter years living in reduced circumstances in Caerwys, North Wales. With failing eyesight he died in 1965.

This splendid watercolour of a Royal Navy battleship, probably HMS Rodney, against a waterfront background is beautifully executed, as are all artworks by this master of the marine watercolour. Most of Brown's watercolours either feature sailing ships or merchant navy ships of the mid decades of the 20th century, very few capture Royal Navy vessels, making this something of a rarity. The watercolour is in good condition with no fading or foxing. It is presented in a wash line mount behind Tru Vue glass, ready to hang. Signed Sam J M Brown, lower left. Please excuse the reflections in the images.