Artwork
At Cley-next-the-sea
At Cley-next-the-sea is a watercolor work on paper by Brewtnall. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a watercolour portraying an estuarine harbor at Cley‑next‑the‑Sea.
About this work
Overview
The work is a watercolour portraying an estuarine harbor at Cley‑next‑the‑Sea. Central to the composition is a tall windmill with a brick base and four wooden sails, positioned beside a modest red‑brick structure. Small craft drift on the tranquil water, while a soft, overcast sky hovers above a flat, grassy shoreline.
Subject & Meaning
The scene captures everyday maritime activity in a quiet coastal settlement, emphasizing the relationship between the windmill—a historic source of power for local industry—and the modest harbor that supports fishing and transport. The muted palette underscores the calm, routine atmosphere of the locale.
Technique & Style
The artist employs loose, fluid brushwork characteristic of watercolour, allowing pigments to blend and suggest light and movement. Dominant blues and greys convey the sky and water, while warm browns highlight the windmill, boats, and brick structures, creating subtle contrast within an overall restrained colour scheme.
History & Provenance
The painting, titled “At Cley‑next‑the‑Sea,” is recorded as a watercolour work. No further details on its creation date, artist, or ownership history are provided in the source material.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Edward Frederick Brewtnall (London 13 October 1846 – 13 November 1902 London) was a British genre, landscape and figure painter and illustrator.
The Scheldt in Mariekerke
A Windmill against a Cloudy Sky
Mills at Dordrecht
Old windmill by the side of a river, in the foreground a man in a boat
The Gein River, near Abcoude
Waterway near the Baarsjes, Amsterdam
Gezicht op Den Haag
A Windmill on a Polder Waterway, Known as ‘In the Month of July’
The Windmill
View of The Hague
Windmill, Lincolnshire
The Windmill