original art: drawing. A Dutch vessel is in the background. William John Leathem (1815-57) became a marine artist in oil and watercolour after early life at sea, though in what capacity remains to be clarified. He mainly exhibited in and from Brighton, including at the RA for ten of the sixteen years 1840-55, once at the BI in 1847, and at the SBA in 1841 and 1845-50 (except 1849). In 1841 at least three stormy ship-portrait prints after him were published (see PAH8871, PAH8882, PAH8891) in London, which may explain why that is the only year he had a London exhibiting address (24 Pratt Street, Lambeth) rather than the various ones he lived at in Brighton. At the 1851 census he was living at 50 Norfolk Road, the home of his widowed mother-in-law, Maria Bentley, with his wife and then two-year-old daughter, both called Clara. His last exhibiting address in 1855 was 88 Upper North Street, Brighton, which may have been where he died of 'consumption' aged 42, on 16 July 1857. Leathem's surname often but wongly appears as 'Leatham', including on the prints. [PvdM 3/22]