Artwork
Yarmouth, Norfolk
Yarmouth, Norfolk is an ink print by the Romanticist artist David Lucas. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Yarmouth, Norfolk is a mezzotint print created by David Lucas in 1830, depicting a dramatic seaside scene during a storm.
Subject & Meaning
The print captures the turmoil of a stormy day at the seaside, contrasting the vulnerability of human activity (a beached boat, a cart with horses, and figures on the shore) with the overwhelming power of nature, as evident in the crashing waves and anchored ships in choppy water.
Technique & Style
Lucas employed mezzotint to achieve deep, expressive shading, particularly in the thick, dark clouds and rough water, characteristic of the Romantic emphasis on nature’s dramatic power.
History & Provenance
Created in 1830, this is a progress proof of the mezzotint, indicating it is an intermediate stage in the printing process, offering insight into Lucas’s developmental technique.
Context
The work aligns with the Romantic movement’s fascination with the sublime and nature’s awe-inspiring force, a theme prevalent in early 19th-century art.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
View on the Orwell
Fisherman with Pack over His Shoulder
A Sea Beach
Seascape with Full Moon
River with Town
River Stour
Scene on the South Coast of England
Breton Port with an Approaching Storm
View of Inland Waterway with Fishermen
Spring
The Mouth of the Thames—Isle of Sheppey in Distance
Vessel in Distress of Yarmouth