The Breezy Estuary is a large exciting nautical study of a river estuary on the Dutch coast line on a windy day, by Alfred Montague a popular London painter of townscapes and marines. Montague was brought up in the Midlands and started painting river landscapes during the 1830’s. He quickly became more interested in depicting people within the hustle and bustle of the town or coastal environment and soon moved to London where he could observe the busier ports and markets. The increasing public interest in travel and the continent led Montague into making forays across the Channel, painting what at the time were becoming ever more popular coastal and town scenes. Alfred exhibited more than 320 paintings in London over a period over some 50 years and was a highly respected artist during his lifetime, major works often commanding several hundred pounds in 1850, a considerable sum! The Breezy Estuary is painted with warm hues of blue and brown, this combined with a fairly soft palette and accuracy of observation, makes this picture highly attractive and slightly reminiscent of the Dutch Romantic School.