1851 – Londen – 1931
British Painter
Landing Fish, Ambleteuse, 1873
William Lionel Wyllie, often referred to simply as W. L. Wyllie, was one of Britain’s most celebrated marine painters, renowned for his evocative watercolours, oils, and etchings of ships and seascapes. Described as “the most distinguished marine artist of his day,” Wyllie captured the power, beauty, and spirit of the sea with unmatched sensitivity and skill.
Born in Camden Town, London, on 5 July 1851, Wyllie grew up in an artistic family. His father, William Morrison Wyllie, was a painter, and his half-brother, Lionel Smythe, also pursued an artistic career. Summers spent in France nurtured his early passion for both art and sailing, two loves that would define his life’s work.
At just 15, he entered the Royal Academy Schools, where he studied under masters such as Edwin Henry Landseer, John Everett Millais, and Frederic Leighton. His precocious talent was quickly recognised; in 1869, at only 18 years old, he was awarded the prestigious Turner Gold Medal for his painting Dawn after a Storm.
Wyllie went on to enjoy a long and prolific career, exhibiting widely at the Royal Academy, the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers, and many other institutions. His works are now held in the Tate, the National Maritime Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the Royal Naval Museum, and collections across the world.
Deeply connected to the sea, Wyllie not only painted maritime subjects but also lived them. He spent much of his life sailing and, from 1906, became closely associated with the Royal Navy after settling in Portsmouth. He campaigned tirelessly for the preservation of HMS Victory and, in 1930, completed his monumental 42-foot panorama of the Battle of Trafalgar, unveiled by King George V and still on view today at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
Even into his final years, Wyllie remained devoted to his art, working long hours on ladders to finish large-scale projects. He died in London on 6 April 1931, aged 79, and was laid to rest with full naval honours at St Mary’s Church, Portchester Castle—a tribute to his lifelong bond with the sea and the Royal Navy.
Wyllie’s legacy endures through his extraordinary body of work, which continues to inspire collectors, maritime enthusiasts, and art lovers around the globe.
