An estuary in Devon, possibly Torquay, with figures and small boats in the foreground and a man-of-war at anchor in the background

William Daniell returned to England in 1794, following an extensive tour of India with his uncle and tutor, Thomas Daniell. He exhibited at the Royal Academy the following year and secured a place at the Royal Academy Schools in 1799. Over the course of 10 summers between 1813 and 1823, Daniell set out from London with his friend, the English dramatist and writer, Richard Ayton, to document the coastline of Britain in the form of texts and drawings, which were later used to produce aquatints and published in sequential installments. Entitled, A voyage around Great Britain, the volumes met with critical approval and were a significant factor in Daniell's election to the Royal Academy in 1822. In the present canvas, the artist has captured a stretch of the picturesque Devonshire coastline, possibly identifiable as Torquay.