Artwork
On the banks of the Yare, Southtown, Yarmouth
On the banks of the Yare, Southtown, Yarmouth is a watercolor work on paper by the Romanticist artist Miles Edmund Cotman. It dates from 1836 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
On the banks of the Yare, Southtown, Yarmouth is a watercolour painting created by Miles Edmund Cotman in 1836. It captures a tranquil scene by the River Yare in Yarmouth.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a riverside scene with a small boat occupied by three people and a fourth standing on a dock ramp. A large ship hull is visible in the dry dock, with buildings and another boat in the background under a cloudy sky, reflecting everyday life.
Technique & Style
The watercolour is executed with loose brushstrokes, giving it a spontaneous and sketch-like quality. This style emphasizes the immediacy of the scene.
Context
The work is characteristic of Cotman's focus on ordinary, unidealized subjects, diverging from more grandiose themes often found in art of the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Miles Edmund Cotman was an English artist of the Norwich School of painters, the eldest son of John Sell Cotman.
