Artwork

Lobster Pots

Lobster Pots, by Edward William Cooke, watercolor, 1835
Lobster Pots, by Edward William Cooke, watercolor, 1835

Lobster Pots is a watercolor work on paper by the British Romanticist artist Edward William Cooke. It dates from 1835 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

Lobster Pots is a watercolour study by Edward Cooke, created as a preparatory work for a later oil painting.

Subject & Meaning

The watercolour depicts a beach scene with overturned lobster pots, one containing a red lobster, and scattered shells and driftwood. The everyday scene is rendered with attention to natural textures and colours.

Technique & Style

Cooke employed loose, expressive brushstrokes to capture the rough texture of the sand and the lobsters' shells, with the vibrant red of the lobster contrasting against muted earth tones.

History & Provenance

The watercolour is dated and served as a study for Cooke's 1835 oil painting of the same subject.

Context

The work reflects the Romanticism movement's focus on nature and everyday scenes, often imbuing them with narrative potential.

Artist & collection