This painting of Whitby Harbour in North Yorkshire, England, was a commission for Falcon Jigsaw Puzzles. The painting shows the ruins of Whitby Abbey on the top of the east cliff, along with the interesting St Mary’s Church. These are reached by 101 steps at the rear of the town. In the foreground are the Duke of York pub and the Board Inn, and the RNLI lifeboat can be seen making its way out to sea. 

Whitby is situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk and has a population of around 13,000, although this swells considerably during the tourist season. It has an established maritime, mineral and tourist heritage and the earliest records show that there was a port there in the 5th Century. The fishing port developed during the Middle Ages, supporting important herring and whaling fleets and Whitby  is where Captain Cook learned much of his seamanship (there is a statue of him on the west cliff above the harbour).

Tourism started in Whitby during the Georgian period and developed further on the arrival of the railway in 1839. Its attraction as a tourist destination was enhanced by the stunning scenery of the North Yorkshire Moors and by its association with the Bram Stoker's horror novel, Dracula. Jet and alum were mined locally. Whitby Jet, which was mined by the Romans and Victorians, became fashionable during the 19th century.

I found this painting to be quite a challenge, due to the incredible amount of detail in this scene, which was based on numerous photos I took during a recent visit on a beautiful sunny day. It will be used in a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle and I suspect with all the detail will prove to be quite a challenge.

In the 2017 Patchings Art Competition, this painting was Highly Commended and in 2020 was selected for inclusion in the PaintersOnline Virtual Patchings exhibition.

Whitby Harbour, North Yorkshire

by Richard Harpum MA

Original Sold

Prices of Limited Edition Prints (numbered, signed, unframed):

• Studio Proof** canvas print (full size); Edition size 25: £420; US$690; €525 + shipping
• Giclée print*** on 300 gsm paper (full size): Edition size 50: £210; US$347; €263 + shipping
• Giclée print on 300 gsm paper in 16"x12" (41cm x 30cm) double mount; Edition size 200: £37; US$61; €46 + shipping

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* Prices in US Dollars and Euros are those used by the artist but may vary depending upon the prevailing exchange rates and the method of payment.

** A Studio Proof canvas print is a giclée print on canvas that is hand-embellished by the artist using the same medium as the original painting (usually acrylic), signed, numbered and then coated in 3 layers of UV-resistant varnish. It is then mounted on stretchers ready for framing.

*** Giclée printing is an advanced form of ink jet printing that applies a wide range of coloured inks that are designed to be light-fast for at least 75 years.