Mogford, John (1821-85; English)
Watergate Bay, near Newquay, Cornwall 1864
Oil on canvas, 38.5 x 76.1 cm
Purchased by the Commissioners of Fine Arts for Victoria, 1864 (advice of Charles Eastlake)
National Gallery of Victoria (p.301.2-1)

This luminous landscape was included in the first batch of paintings bought for Melbourne by the Commissioners of Fine Arts.

The artist worked in Devon and Cornwall, producing both oils and watercolours. As noted in NGV 1894, two of his works are held in the AGNSW (both dating from 1877, purchased in 1879-80).

Refs.

NGV 1875, p.47; NGV 1894, p.80 (IV.McArthur Gallery, no.30); NGV 1905, p.93 (III.McArthur Gallery, no.41) [£40] 

For the artist (not included in AKL), see Bénézit 9, p.1088 (listing this work) andhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mogford (citing Mallalieu); for the paintings in Sydney, see http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/?q=Mogford