Artwork
Juvenile Shrimpers, Deal
Juvenile Shrimpers, Deal is a watercolor work on paper by the British Romanticist artist William Collins. It dates from 1825 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Juvenile Shrimpers, Deal is a watercolour painting created by William Collins (RA) in 1825. The work depicts a serene beach scene with figures engaged in everyday activities near the water's edge.
Subject & Meaning
The painting focuses on a tranquil coastal moment, featuring a man with a net and a child, set against a backdrop of a weathered wooden structure and anchored boats. The emphasis is on capturing the quiet, mundane aspects of seaside life.
Technique & Style
Collins employs muted colours to maintain a subdued, observational tone. Notable is his use of light to delineate textures, such as the rough-hewn wood of the building and the mesh of the nets, characteristic of a Romantic attention to detail.
History & Provenance
Completed on January 29, 1825, for Mr. Boyer at a fee of 21 guineas, the work was promptly reproduced as an aquatint in Bowyer's *Facsimiles of Water Colour Drawings* later in the same year.
Context
The painting's style and thematic focus align with the broader artistic movement of Romanticism, which often emphasized the beauty in everyday, natural scenes.
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Artist & collection
Artist
William Collins (8 September 1788, London – 17 February 1847, London) was an English landscape and genre painter.
