From Jerripedia
Self-portrait
Philip Ouless (1817–1885) was Jersey's most celebrated marine painter, and the only one of the trio of famous 19th century 'Jersey' artists - the others were Jean Le Capelain and John Everett Millais - who was actually born in the island. The son of an auctioneer, his grandparents emigrated from Coutances, Normandy to escape the French Revolution and Philip was born in St Helier
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This sketch of St Aubin’s Bay was made in September 1873. The sketch shows
St Matthew's Church and the windmill and coastal tower at
Bel Royal. The windmill has long since disappeared, the coastal tower was blown up by the Germans during the Occupation, but the church remains and is now usually known as the 'Glass Church', because of the magnificent collection of Lalique glass which was used when the interior was refurbished. There were almost no buildings on the shoreline between
Millbrook and
Saint Aubin in the distance. Today, from the church westwards there is an almost unbroken line of buildings
This is said to be Jersey's oldest surviving photograph: An 1845 daguerreotype in the collection of La Société Jersiaise. It has been attributed to Philip Ouless and described as a self-portrait. While Ouless may well have taken the photograph - he advertised a portraiture service in the same year - it cannot be a self-portrait. He was 28 years old at the time and all portraits of him show him as thin in the face.
Paris studies
Philip John Ouless studied painting in Paris, then returned to St Helier where he established himself as a marine, landscape and portrait painter. He received numerous commissions from ship owners and masters, benefiting from the 19th-century boom in shipbuilding. As well as the new paddle steamers, Ouless painted early racing yachts.
Ouless’ views of Jersey were engraved and sold to the increasing number of visitors to the island. He recorded the visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to Jersey in 1846 in eleven watercolours, which were published the following year. Ouless also recorded a number of events, particularly shipwrecks, which were reproduced in the Illustrated London News. He died at 53 New Street, St Helier in 1885. His son Walter Ouless RA (1848-1933) became a portrait painter. Walter's daughter Catherine (1879-1961) was also an accomplished artist.
Ouless advertises his new portrait service in 1845
Photography
Philip Ouless was not only an accomplished artist, but he was a pioneering photographer, introducing the daguerrotype process to the island in 1845 after a visit to France, during which he received instructions from the first pupil of Louis Daguerre, who invented the process which created the first permanent photographs in 1839. There had been a demonstration of daguerreotypes in Jersey the following year.
The process, which produced a one-off image on a silvered plate, was the first photographic process in general circulation. It was widely used for commercial portraiture in the 1840s but could not survive the development of paper-based photographs which could be produced an unlimited number of times from negatives. The daguerrotype photograph, suggested to be Ouless himself, was found in a collection of his son, Clarence Ouless's photographs given to La Société Jersiaise in 2006, and is believed to be Jersey's oldest surviving photograph. Because he was only 28 at the time, this cannot, as has been suggested, be a self-portrait of Philip Ouless
The daguerreotype, together with some unexposed plates of similar vintage, was in an envelope which is thought to bear Clarence Ouless's handwriting.
No other photographs taken by Philip Ouless are known to have survived, but it is unlikely that an artist of his standing would have failed to attract business with the advertisement he placed in 1845 offering his new portrait service.
A passport issued to Philippe Ouless and his wife by the Constable of St Helier in 1840 ...
... and one issued by the British Consul in St Malo in 1843 ...
... and one from 1844 which has the stamps to prove what a regular traveller Philippe Ouless was
Family tree
Gallery
This gallery contains a large collection of Ouless works - click on any image to see a full-size version. Other Ouless works can be found by following the three links above
Jersey Heritage acquisition
In 2021 this collection of watercolours and one oil painting by Ouless was acquired from a private seller, at half market price, by Jersey Heritage. These are the originals of some of the etchings published in 1860 by Ouless in a book of views of Jersey
Mont Orgueil Castle chapel, 1859
Ouless's two sons outside the family home at 53 New Street. We have not been able to find any record of the name Paradise Row in Jersey street directories or census returns. Philip Ouless sold collections of etchings with the imprint '53 Paradise Row' and it may be that he believed this to be a more impressive address than 53 New Street
Philip Ouless in 1875, photographed by his son Clarence
Philip Ouless - a portrait towards the end of his life
Maritime paintings
Alexandra off the Casquets
Dewdrop off Corbiere, 1879
Amazon on fire in the Bay of Biscay
A fishing boat - attributed to Ouless
The paddle steamer Normandy off Corbiere
Circassian, master John Amy
Rescue of London - master Captain George Messervy
RMS Courier under the command of Captain Goodridge
A sailing ship to the rescue of a stricken paddle steamer
Collier and Ladybird at St Helier
Courier approaches St Helier pierhead
HMS Dasher to the rescue of RMS Dispatch in 1853
HMS Dasher to the rescue of RMS Dispatch
The day after the shipwreck of Silver Key in the West Indies
Dispatch at St Helier, 1849
Eclipse off Mont Orgueil, 1863
Flying Scud off Noirmont, 1862
Francis John off the Casquets
Percy Douglas of Liverpool
Gaspe of Jersey attacks the US Navy ship Diomede in 1814
Hebe of Jersey off Corbiere, 1874
HMS Dasher to the rescue of RMS Dispatch
Ketch Gazelle off Corbiere, 1874
Unidentified ship off Naples
Markwell, commanded by Thomas Le Dain, en route to Canada in 1833
The topsail schooner Telegraph
A Royal Navy three-decker in 1871
Wreck of the Express 1859
Homely at the Le Boutillier wharf in Paspebiac
Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert in 1859
Les Ecrehous
Ouless made several trips to Les Ecréhous not long before he died, to sketch and paint the offshore islets
Miscellaneous subjects
Jacques Jandron (c1781- )
Jersey Harbour in Newfoundland
John William Dupre (1790-1866)
Mary Ann Balleine (1796- )
Grouville Common race meeting, 1849
The Rev George Balleine (1786-1856)
View from South Hill, 1875
Queen Victoria's arrival, 1846
Queen Victoria in Broad Street
Queen Victoria's departure
Capt Gedeon le Bas (1791- )
This painting has been described as 'Gorey Common Races', but it is believed to depict a Militia parade on Grouville Common
St Brelade's Bay and the Sutton House
Building Corbiere Lighthouse
Great Harbour Newfoundland
The Royal Yacht Fairy passing a frigate and other shipping, watched by a boatload of sightseers. The Royal Standard flies at the Fairy’s mainmast, indicating that the Queen is actually on board, perhaps returning to Portsmouth from Osborne House in the gathering dusk of a beautiful summer’s day
A painting by Ouless of his sons
The Hocquard family house overlooking St Aubin
Beauport, showing the battery
Photographer Thomas Sutton's house in St Brelade's Bay in 1864
Visit by Avranches municipality in 1850
Building of Corbiere Lighthouse in 1873
Sketches from albums in the possession of Jersey Archive