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Boats off the Coast, Storm Approaching

Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts | CC0 1.0

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Date

1830

Artist

John Sell Cotman (1782-1842)

Collection

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Image Link

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/746834

Description

Cotman’s luminous seascape demonstrates a mature mastery of watercolor. As the artist approached fifty, he turned from oil painting. The present subject may reflect his financial struggles in 1830 – but first of all the work engages with J. M. W. Turner. The sharply canted, golden-sailed fishing boat, distant warship, and looming storm clouds all echo "Dutch Boats in a Gale" (National Gallery, London) commissioned from Turner by the Duke of Bridgewater in 1801. To produce the milky, foam-topped waves in the foreground, Cotman likely used an experimental technique where he mixed flour paste into his washes. Medium: watercolor over traces of graphite, with bodycolor, scratching out, stopping out, and gum arabic.

Image Licence

CC0 1.0

Image Credit

Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts

Location

English Channel

Tags

Boats
Seascapes
Ships

Category

Travel & Transport

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© 2024 Watercolour World | Technology by The Museum Platform

© 2024 Watercolour World | Technology by The Museum Platform