Paintings by the '˜Turner of the North' go up for auction

The old swing bridge, with its absurdly narrow span of just 4ft, is dwarfed by a huge sailing ship in this nostalgic look at Victorian Whitby seen through the eyes of artist George Weatherill, who was born 11 miles away at Cliff House, Staithes.

Weatherill, along with a host of other artists and photographers, was attracted to the historic seaport by its rugged beauty, ruined abbey, cobbled streets and mix of fishermen’s cottages and storied Georgian town houses.

The harbour and its bridge, designed by Francis Pickernell and opened in 1835 to replace the first swing bridge, built in 1767, proved a particular favourite with Weatherill (1810-1890) and this 7in by 10in watercolour is estimated to fetch £5,000-£7,000 when it goes under the hammer with seven other Whitby views by the artist at Bonhams in London on April 12. Incidentally, the current swing bridge was built in 1908-09 and spans 75ft.

By coincidence, a fascinating array of early postcard photographs of the Whitby area by the talented but little-remembered John Thomas Ross, from the collection of the late Richard Moore, attracted considerable attention at the Malton salerooms of Boulton and Cooper. Nearly 1,000 topographical images from the early 20th century, divided into 12 lots, realised £19,600, way above expectations.

Back to George Weatherill, one of Yorkshire’s finest watercolourists and whose best work will, I think, continue to rise in value. The second son of a Yorkshire farmer, he was a delicate, intelligent child and spent much of his spare time growing up in Staithes watching fishermen and drawing in the sand. He spent most of his career as a clerk and later chief cashier at Wakefield Simpson and Abel Chapman’s Whitby Old Bank, painting in his spare time.

But the pressure of work told and he suffered a nervous breakdown before retiring at the age of 50 to devote his life to painting – a move which did wonders for his health and his artistic talent. He was heavily influenced by JMW Turner, so much so that he was dubbed the “Turner of the North”, capturing in his delicate watercolours and eye for detail the unique quality of Northern coastal light, moonlight, sunset and sunrise.

The seven other Weatherill paintings on offer at Bonhams include the local lifeboat returning from the rescue of shipwrecked fishermen in 1861, a donkey ride on Whitby Sands and shipping with the ruined abbey in the distance. At the same marine sale, a pair of 1879 oils by Hull-born Henry Redmore (1820-1887), Moored Fishing Vessels and Shipping in Choppy Seas, are listed at £3,000-£5,000 and York-born Henry Scott Tuke’s Shipping Scene (1913) should realise £4,000-£6,000.