Gustave de Breanski (1856-1898) British, Oil on Canvas. Painting of a ship off a busy harbor. Signed bottom left. 

Overall: 21 1/2 X 29 1/2 in. 

Sight: 15 1/2 X 23 1/2 in. 

Depth: 2 1/2 in. 

#2732 . 

Gustave de Breanski was born in 1856 in England. His name, like that of his older brother Alfred, is synonymous with attractive landscape paintings and coastal scenes. The de Breanskis were prolific painters who described themselves as landscape artists, but in Gustave’s case the majority of his work is made up of seascapes and inshore scenes. All seven of his Royal Academy exhibits between 1878 and 1887 consisted primarily of marine views. Gustave’s style was much broader and more Impressionistic than that of his brother. His paintings often featured fishing boats and other working craft, a focus that differentiated him from other contemporary painters who primarily depicted schooners, yachts, military vessels, and large merchant marine ships. He conveyed a maritime realism that is both distinctive and widely appealing by doing so, giving the hard working fishermen who brought bounties to Britain their due. His proficiency with color is excellent, and his composition shows an adeptness at both balance and perspective, often utilizing shading superbly to imply clouds that are not within the frame. A strong supporter of the Suffolk Street Galleries, the artist exhibited some 51 canvases there throughout his career, and was instrumental in helping the Royal Society of British Artists grow and compete with the rival Royal Academy as well. He passed away in 1898 at the age of 42, at the height of his career. Today, paintings by Gustave de Breanski are gaining in popularity among discerning collectors in the fine art market as his contributions to the British school become more and more apparent.