Attributed to Giovanni Jean Schranz (Maltese, 1794-1882) Portrait of a British sloop, Valletta, ...

Attributed to Giovanni Jean Schranz (Maltese, 1794-1882) Portrait of a British sloop, Valletta, Malta watercolour heightened with white 26 x 37.1cm (10 1/4 x 14 5/8in). Footnotes: In a letter by Antonio Espinosa Rodriguez, Curator of Fine Arts at the Maritime Museum in Malta, written in 1994, he provides a detailed description of the present watercolour which reads: '[This] painting reproduces a portrait of a sloop flying the blue ensign, moored at Kalkara Creek, seen from the Valletta side of the Grand Harbour. Serving as background to the sloop is Fort Angelo followed at a further plane by Senglea point, distinguished by the characteristic dome and belfry off the church of our lady of Portosalvo popularly known as Saint Philip, and of course the famous guard-post at the Senglea point. Further on, appears the Marsa basin and Jesuit Hill. Over the horizon is an indication of Mdina and Verdala castle. The scene is then completed towards the right by part of the fortifications of Floriana and Pinto stores. Serving as a repoussoir to the entire composition is a floating buoy and a flying seagull. This latter compositional aspect is often encountered in many of Schranz's painting's'. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing