Fancy a painting of Deptford?

According to Artdaily, Sotheby's will be auctioning an eighteenth-century picture thought to feature Deptford Dockyard. The work by Samuel Scott is expected to fetch around half a million pounds; its

depiction of the great sailing vessels of the age, is characteristic of Scott’s most endearing work and it is painted on a grand scale; the painting measures 198cm by 211cm. It captures a British 6th rate naval vessel raising anchor in the Thames and as it does so, its sails are hoisted and men scramble about the upper rigging in a frantic effort to prepare the boat for catching the outgoing tide. The bustling waterborne activity suggests the close proximity of a dockyard and it is likely that the location is in fact the Royal Docks at Deptford. The painting captures all the bustle and commotion of river life and the scene would have been a familiar one in 18th century London.

If you can pay the estimated price of £4-600,000, then go along to Sotheby's next Wednesday evening. The rest of us can enjoy the catalogue reproduction here.