Painting High Tide Off Trebarwith Strand Cornish Shipwreck Charles Sim Mottram

Large Victorian Marine Masterpiece Painting “High Tide off Trebarwith Strand”
Dramatic Cornish Shipwreck Masterpiece, Signed Charles Sim Mottram RBA, c.1894
Subject & Medium
A powerful late-Victorian marine watercolour with bodycolour (white heightening) on paper by Charles Sim Mottram, titled High Tide off Trebarwith Strand and dated 1894. The subject is the wild north Cornish coast at Trebarwith Strand, near Tintagel – a steep, cliff-backed beach facing directly onto the Atlantic.
Just beyond the surf line, a full-rigged sailing vessel has run aground and is breaking up on unseen rocks. The stern lifts and falls in the swell as shattered masts and spars cant at dangerous angles. On the beach, beneath the towering cliffs, a crowd of fishermen, lifeboat men and local villagers surge towards the water’s edge as the drama unfolds.
This is an original 19th-century painting in watercolour with bodycolour, not a print or reproduction.
Composition & Technique
Mottram arranges the scene as a broad panoramic strip, allowing the eye to travel from foreground detail to the distant horizon.
In the foreground, the wet sand is rendered with luminous washes, showing reflections, tracks, footprints and small pools left by the recently retreating tide. A strong diagonal of figures runs from the lower left towards the centre: fishermen in traditional sou’wester hats and work clothes brace themselves against the pull of thick, tarred rope or netting that disappears into the surf. Some lean forward with their full weight; others steady the line or gesture urgently towards the wreck.
Closer to the cliffs, more figures and children cluster in small groups, hands raised to shade their eyes as they watch events offshore.
In the mid-distance, heavy Atlantic rollers are built up in layered bands of blue-grey and green. Mottram breaks the crests with dense bodycolour to capture foam and flying spray, giving the water convincing weight, movement and coldness. The stricken ship lies just beyond the main line of breakers, its dark hull and jagged spars sharply silhouetted against the paler sea. Fragments of rigging and broken mast heighten the sense of chaos and imminent loss.
In the distance, a headland and lower cliffs close the composition and root the image firmly in Cornwall, while a low, layered sky presses down over the scene. Gulls wheel above the wreck, indicated with a few economical strokes that add life, scale and atmosphere.
Technically, the work shows:
Broad transparent washes for sky and far distance
Firmer modelling and drawing in the cliffs and figures
Crisp, opaque bodycolour for foam, spray and highlights
The balance between carefully observed detail and expressive, energetic brushwork is precisely what collectors seek in a serious Victorian marine watercolour.
About the Artist
Charles Sim Mottram RBA (British, 1852–1919) was a respected late-Victorian marine and coastal painter. Based in London, he travelled widely to the west and south-west coasts of Britain, with Cornwall providing some of his most dramatic subjects.
He specialised in shipwrecks, lifeboat launches, storm-driven seas and coastal dramas, as well as quieter harbour and shoreline scenes. His work was regularly exhibited in London, including at the Institute of Painters in Water Colours (later the Royal Institute), and is admired for the combination of narrative drama with accurate observation of sea, weather and topography.
Mottram is sometimes confused with the earlier engraver Charles Mottram, but this painting is firmly by Charles Sim Mottram, the marine painter. The signature, subject matter, period and watercolour technique are all entirely characteristic of his work. His Cornish subjects are particularly sought after – for example, a St Ives scene achieved $20,129 (USD) at Tennants in 2013.
Historical Significance
This watercolour is a finely judged, securely dated example of Mottram’s mature marine work. It captures not only the raw power of the Atlantic against the north Cornish coast, but also the collective response of a coastal community: men risking themselves at the water’s edge, women and children watching anxiously from slightly higher ground.
Trebarwith Strand remains one of Cornwall’s most dramatic stretches of coastline. Works that combine:
A specific, recognisable Cornish location
A large, exhibition-scale format
A fully developed narrative shipwreck scene
are particularly attractive and highly valued to collectors of Cornish art and British marine painting.
The original late-19th-century exhibition-type label on the reverse, giving the full title, location, artist’s name, London banking address and original price, ties the work directly to the Victorian exhibition and retail system. It confirms that this was conceived and marketed as a substantial professional piece rather than a minor sketch.
Provenance & Exhibition
Originally exhibited in a London watercolour exhibition in the late 19th century, as indicated by the original exhibition-style label verso, which is entirely consistent with practice at the Institute of Painters in Water Colours (later the Royal Institute).
The label is inscribed with the title “High Tide”, the location “off Trebarwith Strand”, the artist’s name and his London banking address, “c/o London & County Bank, High Holborn W.C.”, together with the original price in manuscript.
Thence in private ownership in the United Kingdom; subsequently in a private collection in Gwynedd, Wales, where both painting and label were preserved.
Later offered and sold through a respected North West auction house (label verso).
Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD and exhibited in Atlantic Drama: Shipwrecks & Lifeboat Heroes on the Cornish Coast, Winter 2025, at the Famous Lord Hill Museum, as part of a selection of important British marine and Cornish coastal works from private collections. Now offered from this curated collection.
Signature
The painting is signed lower right “Chas S Mottram 94”, confirming both the artist and the 1894 date. The signature is clear, fluent and fully consistent with other known examples by Charles Sim Mottram.
On the reverse label, the artist again writes his name as “Chas S Mottram”, providing an additional, independent confirmation of authorship in his own hand.
Framed and Glazed
The watercolour is presented in an attractive gilt moulded Larson-Juhl frame, recently and professionally fitted. This high-quality contemporary moulding is sympathetic to both period and subject, giving the work a classic, gallery-ready appearance while ensuring the structure and materials meet modern standards. An inner slip further sets off the image and adds visual depth.
To the front, the work is protected by AR70 glass – a premium low-reflection glazing that significantly reduces glare and offers enhanced UV filtration compared with standard glass. This improves viewing in modern interiors (especially under artificial or mixed lighting) and helps protect the delicate watercolour pigments from light damage over time.
As the frame has been recently installed, it presents very cleanly, with only the most minimal handling marks. The work is ready to hang.
Framed Size
Approximate overall framed dimensions:
Height: 67.5 cm
Width: 109.5 cm
Depth: 3 cm
The wide panoramic format and substantial size give the painting real presence on the wall. It is notably larger than many Victorian watercolours and works especially well above a sofa, sideboard, fireplace or in a stairwell, where its sweep and detailed narrative can be fully appreciated.
Why This Piece Stands Out
Dramatic late-Victorian shipwreck scene on the rugged Cornish coast at Trebarwith Strand, rich in narrative and human interest.
Large, exhibition-scale watercolour in an impressive panoramic format that makes a genuine statement on the wall.
Well-documented, signed work by Charles Sim Mottram, with an original Victorian exhibition-type label giving title, location, name and London banking address, plus a recent curated museum exhibition history.
Combines strong regional and historical appeal (Cornwall, Trebarwith Strand, Victorian maritime history) with excellent decorative impact in both traditional and contemporary interiors.
Professionally presented in a recent gilt Larson-Juhl frame with AR70 low-reflection, UV-filtering glass – beautifully displayed, well protected and ready to hang.
Condition
The watercolour presents very well for its age. The colours remain strong and atmospheric, with no obvious fading to sea or sky when viewed through the glass. The sheet appears flat and properly supported within the frame, with no pronounced cockling visible from the front. Under normal viewing conditions there are no evident tears, holes or visible repairs to the painted surface.
The original exhibition-type label on the reverse is heavily browned and shows foxing, staining and some paper losses – exactly as expected from a genuine late-19th-century label that has remained with the work for over a century. Crucially, the inscription remains legible and the label is stable and securely attached.
The painting has not been examined out of the frame and is therefore sold as seen. As with all authentic Victorian works on paper, minor age-related characteristics should be expected and form part of its history, character and provenance.
Shipping
The painting will be professionally packed and fully insured for worldwide delivery.