Artwork
Aberystwyth Harbour
Aberystwyth Harbour is an oil painting by Julius Caesar Ibbetson. It dates from 1796 and is held in the collection of the National Library of Wales.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Aberystwyth Harbour depicts the Welsh port of Aberystwyth as its main subject, presenting a topographical landscape view of the working harbour.
Aberystwyth Harbour depicts the Welsh port of Aberystwyth as its main subject, presenting a topographical landscape view of the working harbour. The composition includes multiple identifiable elements of the town: boats on the water, the Trefechan Bridge, the ruins of Aberystwyth Castle, and Constitution Hill rising in the background. Human figures, a man, a woman, and a child, populate the scene, animating the harbour with everyday activity and giving scale to the maritime and architectural surroundings.
As a landscape painting by Julius Caesar Ibbetson, the work belongs to the late eighteenth-century tradition of British topographical art, in which specific coastal towns and landmarks were recorded for viewers who might never visit them. By combining the harbour's commercial activity with the town's historic castle and surrounding natural features, the painting functions both as a documentary record of Aberystwyth in 1792 and as a picturesque celebration of a Welsh seaside community.
Technique & Style
Aberystwyth Harbour is an oil painting executed on board, with dimensions of 34.7 × 44.6 cm. The work belongs to the landscape genre, depicting the harbour at Aberystwyth with boats, figures, and local landmarks including Trefechan Bridge and Aberystwyth Castle. The composition integrates human activity within a coastal setting, with a man, woman, and child present in the scene. The relatively modest scale and board support suggest a practical, portable format suited to sketching or documenting a specific locale.
History & Provenance
The work was painted in 1792 by Julius Caesar Ibbetson, depicting Aberystwyth Harbour in oil on board measuring 34.7 × 44.6 cm. It entered the collection of the National Library of Wales through a purchase at Sotheby’s in 1984, where it was acquired as PE04090.
The painting’s early history and original commission remain undocumented in the cited sources.
The painting is held by the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, as part of its framed works of art collection.
It is inventoried as PE04090, with dimensions of 34.7 cm in height and 44.6 cm in width. The work was acquired through purchase at Sotheby’s in 1984.
Legacy
The painting Aberystwyth Harbour (1792) by Julius Caesar Ibbetson, housed in the National Library of Wales, has been recognized as a significant early British landscape work depicting the coastal town. Its public domain status and inclusion in major collections have facilitated scholarly study and reproduction, contributing to renewed appreciation of Ibbetson's role in 18th-century landscape painting.
The work's depiction of Aberystwyth Harbour, including elements such as Trefechan Bridge and Aberystwyth Castle, has been cited in analyses of topographical art from the period, underscoring its historical and artistic value.
The painting is part of the National Library of Wales's collection, acquired through purchase at Sotheby's in 1984, and remains accessible for research and public engagement through digitized records and exhibitions.
Overview
Julius Caesar Ibbetson, an 18th‑century British painter, completed the oil work titled Aberystwyth Harbour in 1796. The composition records the Welsh coastal town, showing its castle, harbour and the rise of Constitution Hill, and is currently part of the National Library of Wales collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Julius Caesar Ibbetson (29 December 1759 – 13 October 1817) was a British 18th-century landscape and watercolour painter.
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