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Thomas Gainsborough (artist) British, 1727 - 1788 Seashore with Fishermen, c. 1781/1782 oil on canvas Overall: 101.9 x 127.6 cm (40 1/8 x 50 1/4 in.) framed: 124.5 x 149.9 x 7 cm (49 x 59 x 2 3/4 in.) Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection 1970.17.121 On View |
Gainsborough's landscapes are highly personal statements that evolved from ideas and images he developed in his studio, either directly on canvas or in scale models. In this work he focused on the physical exertions of fishermen as they confront strong winds and pounding surf. Even the massive cliff on the far side of the cove, its thrusting diagonal posed against the wind, seems to echo the efforts of the men struggling to launch their boat into the waves.
Gainsborough owned works by Dutch marine painters, and their influence is evident here. His own free and suggestive painting technique, however, gives the scene a unique degree of freshness and spontaneity. He applied his paint in thin, translucent layers that are accented by deft touches of impasto, particularly in the fishermen's clothing and on the white foam of the waves. A restrained palette of browns and creams suggests the shore and rocks; gray-greens, gray-blues, and white highlights describe the sun-filled expanse of the sea, while the sky is colored with delicate hints of purple, blue, and pink.