Description
Where the Sea Meets the Land: Artists on the coast in nineteenth-century Britain
Christiana Payne
The coastline of Great Britainwas a powerful magnet for artists in the nineteenth century. Its strong light created ideal conditions for experiments in open-air
sketching and photography, and the difficulties of painting the endlessly moving waves presented a constant challenge.
Dr Payne explores the different ways artists, politicians, tourists, theologians, poets and scientists have viewed the coast. She shows how the images fit into the wider
response to social change and the transformation of religious belief. Special attention is paid to the development of lighthouses and lifeboats, and to the interest in the social organization of fishing villages, both of which provided subject matter for artists.
Cartoons, photography and book illustrations are considered alongside significant oil paintings and watercolours. Their themes range from satirical humour to the most serious philosophical reflections. The book discusses the work of J M W Turner,
John Constable, William Powell Frith and Winslow Homer, as well as others, such
as James Clarke Hook and Henry Moore, whose contributions have been little studied
in modern times.
ISBN 978-1-904537-64-9
270 x 210mm
224 pages
100 colour and 15 black & white illustrations
softback
