WILLIAM DAVIS (BRITISH, 1812-1873)

Davis’ work was much admired by Rossetti and Ford Madox Brown. Born in Dublin he moved to Liverpool in 1842 and began exhibiting at the Royal Academy in 1851, where the present work was shown in 1856. From 1853 onwards he began producing landscapes. He was admired by Ruskin and several of his landscapes can be found in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool.

Shotwick Hall, depicted here, was the inspiration for Grenville Grange, the haunted house featured in God's Providence House the first novel by Mrs G. Linnaeus Banks published in 1865.

The painting was purchased from the Liverpool Academy by Mr Henry Threlfall Wilson. He was the co-founder of the White Star Line which he founded in 1845 with John Pilkington. Their business was focused on leasing and chartering vessels to profit from the Australian gold mine trade.