View of Chatham Dockyard by Elias Martin

Acquisition of 'A View of Chatham Dockyard' by Elias Martin c 1777, one of the most important views of the dockyard to have been discovered, and a fine example of an 18th century landscape. It is one of only two 18th century oil paintings of Chatham Dockyard known to exist, the other being that of Farrington in the collection of the National Maritime Museum, which postdates Chatham's 1780's rebuilding programme. It is, therefore, an important record of the appearance of the pre-1780's dockyard. Elias Martin (1739-1818) was an early Royal academician, who in 1780 became court painter to King Gustavus III of Sweden.