▁included ▁a ▁Sc ene ▁in ▁a ▁Nor wich ▁Ale - house , ▁which ▁dep icted ▁several ▁well - known ▁colour ful ▁characters ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁at ▁that ▁time . ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 9 ▁he ▁exhib ited ▁in ▁London . ▁ ▁He ▁painted ▁chief ly ▁river ▁and ▁coast al ▁land sc apes , ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁earlier ▁Dutch ▁artists , ▁whose ▁works ▁he ▁studied ▁and ▁copied ▁during ▁a ▁visit ▁to ▁Holland ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 1 . ▁The ▁following ▁year ▁he ▁exhib ited ▁The ▁Fer ry , ▁from ▁a ▁celebrated ▁picture ▁of ▁Ber chem ▁in ▁the ▁Muse e ▁des ▁Table aux , ▁Amsterdam . ▁This ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁contributed ▁to ▁him ▁developing ▁a ▁new ▁oil ▁technique ▁and ▁deep ening ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁marine ▁subjects . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 1 8 2 0 ▁and ▁ 1 8 2 9 , ▁St ann ard ▁exhib ited ▁works ▁at ▁the ▁Royal ▁Academy ▁and ▁the ▁British ▁Institution ▁in ▁London , ▁but ▁by ▁ 1 8 2 3 ▁he ▁was ▁suffering ▁finan cially , ▁a ▁situation ▁that ▁was ▁alle vi ated ▁tempor arily ▁by ▁the ▁patron age ▁of ▁the ▁Nor wich ▁ ▁manufact urer ▁and ▁entrepr ene ur ▁John ▁Har vey , ▁who ▁commission ed ▁St ann ard ▁to ▁paint ▁his ▁master work , ▁Thor pe ▁Water ▁Fro lic , ▁Af ternoon . ▁First ▁exhib ited ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 5 , ▁the ▁painting ▁is ▁a ▁large ▁oil - on - canvas ▁work ▁( 1 0 8 ▁x ▁ 1 7