William Callow, R.W.S. (London 1812-1908 Great Missenden)

Callow visited Le Havre on numerous occasions from 1835. Callow stated in his autobiography, that 'In 1843 I exhibited a painting of the 'Port of Havre at the Old Society. It was purchased by Mr Prinsep as a gift for a distinguished Indian, Dwarkanath Tagore, as it represented the place from which he embarked for England...[this drawing was] subsequently sent to him in India' (Cundall, op. cit, p. 89). It is not known how similar the earlier watercolour is to the present one exhibited fifty-five years later but the present watercolour remained with the artist's family upon his death.