Circle of Joseph Walter

Circle of Joseph Walter
An anchored merchantman lying off the ‘Jack in the basket’ seamark, Lymington, with the Needles in the distance beyond
Oil on canvas
47 x 65cm; 18½ x 25½in

The term 'Jack in the Basket' was given to a mark in coastal waters to show the edge of a sandbank or other obstruction. It was made of a wooden box or basket on the top of a pole. Hurst Castle can be seen in the background, although the lighthouse that can now be seen from this viewpoint was not built until 1859.