Ship portrait. This painting represents the ship 'Joshua Bates', outward bound from Liverpool, passing the Perch Rock Fort and lighthouse at the mouth of the River Mersey and with what would appear to be a Liverpool pilot cutter off her port bow. The ship was built by the American, Donald McKay, was launched in 1844 and was mainly captained by Duncan McCallum (died 1866), born in Scotland but later naturalised American. On 14 November 1856 it was sailing in the Indian Ocean near Java when a shower of meteoric dust fell onto it. Michael Charles has suggested that the artist may be William Kimmins McMinn of Liverpool, given the location and the treatment of the sea, which is similar to four paintings by McMinn illustrated in Sam Davidson’s book, ‘Marine Art & Liverpool’. This remains to be confirmed. [PvdM 2/21]