The Painting
A watercolour measuring 21½" x 27". Inscribed verso ‘Algeciras’. Provenance: in the
possession of Sir Alfred East at the time of his death, subsequently retained by
Lady East throughout her lifetime. Upon her death in 1938 it was bequeathed to a
family member, and thence by direct descent.
About the Artist
Sir Alfred East RA, RI, PRBA, RPE (1844-1913) was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire.
In 1888 he was commissioned to spend six months in Japan by the Fine Art Society,
and became the first English artist to make Japan the field of an extensive and detailed
exploration with palette and brush. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy
in 1899, having been a regular exhibitor since 1883. In 1906 East was elected President
of the Royal Society of British Artists, a position he held until his death. The
Burlington Magazine considered that the Society had ‘chosen a President who can paint
a better picture than any of its members, which is no small subject for congratulations.’
In 1910 he received a knighthood, and a banquet was held in his honour in his native
town of Kettering. The Alfred East Gallery, designed by J.A. Gotch, was opened in
Kettering on 31 July 1913 by Lord Spencer. Sir Alfred died two months later, but
not before he had been elected to full membership of the Royal Academy. A national
newspaper commented that it was a ‘fitting end to a brilliant career’.
The Subject
Algeciras, Spain. Algeciras is a port city located on the Bay of Gibraltar in the
Cadiz province of southern Spain. The city is situated on the Rio de la Miel river
which can be seen in the watercolour, although much of the river within the city
is now culverted. The modern name Algeciras derives from the original Arabic name
“al-Jazirah al-Khadra” (“Green Island”), after the offshore Isla Verde. Algeciras
had been populated since prehistoric times, but was abandoned in the 14th century.
It was re-founded in 1704 by refugees from Gibraltar and was rebuilt on its present
rectangular plan by Charles III of Spain in 1760. In July 1801, the French and Spanish
fleets fought the British Royal Navy in the Battle of Algeciras, which ended in a
British victory.
