Headland - May 1999 by Charles Oakley

Signed lower right facing 

From the estate of the artist 

The scene shows a view of Portland Bill lighthouse with the Trinity House obelisk in the foreground. The red band encircling the lighthouse was intended to increase visibility against cloudy skies for to mariners during the day. The Trinity House obelisk was built in 1844 to warn ships off the coast of Portland Bill. Made of Portland Stone, the obelisk stands at the southern tip of the Isle of Portland on a low shelf of rock extending 30 metres south into the sea. Trinity House is a charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers. It’s not known why Charles Oakley painted this particular subject or if he ever visited this part of Dorset; he may have been attracted by the sculptural form of the obelisk against a threatening stormy sky with the lighthouse beyond.