£5,000
Philip John Ouless (Jersey, 1817-1885) L & SW Steamship Diana off the Casquettes, the island of Alderney beyond, oil on canvas, signed with the artist's monogram and dated 1877 lower left, the steamship bearing the name "Diana" on the side of her hull, late 19th century fluted gilded frame bears plaque inscribed "L & SW Steamship Diana Captn. G. Allix 1886", 21¾ x 36½in. (55.2 x 92.7cm.). *The single screw steamship Diana was built in 1876 by Aitken & Mansel, Whiteinch, Glasgow and was owned by the London & South Western Railway. She was the first screw propelled ship to be built for the Channel Islands mail service and her first mail voyage was on April 7th 1877. She was also the first Channel Islands mailboat and passenger ship to offer cargo facilities and as such was the first in a line of mailboats culminating in the Caesarea launched in 1960 and her sister ship Sarnia launched the following year. Diana operated the Channel Islands mail service until July 25th 1890 after which she took up the route between the UK and St Malo. On June 21st 1895 she was sailing in thick fog from St Malo to Southampton when she grounded on rocks under the lighthouse at Cap de la Hague on the Normandy coast. After the passengers and mail had been taken off, two days later she slipped off the rocks, broke up and sank.
*Canvas lined. Original stretcher. Slight cupping across the paint surface.
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