Tynemouth Priory, England

Description

During his 1881-82 stay in England, Homer settled in the small fishing village of Cullercoats. He often depicted fisherfolk in the village and neighboring areas, as in Tynemouth Priory, England, in which a woman and two fishermen occupy a coble that is floating in choppy waters off the coast, and a fisherman wearing yellow gear is busy hauling in a net, presumably filled with the day's catch. A ruined castle and priory that dominate the coast near Tynemouth are visible in the righthand background; Homer would have seen this view daily from his rented studio overlooking Cullercoats Harbor. The artist's use of transparent gray wash for the ruins makes them appear ghostly and desolate in the mist. Overall, this work successfully captures a sense of ocean breezes and moist salt air.

Provenance

The artist to his brother, Charles S. Homer, Jr. (1834–1917), New York, by 1910 [according to correspondence from Abigail Booth Gerdts to the Art Institute, February 10, 2007]. Charles W. Gould (1849–1931), New York, by 1915 [Brooklyn exh. cat. 1915]. Sold by Knoedler and Company, New York, to Martin A. Ryerson (1856–1932), Chicago, November 11, 1915 [invoice]; given to the Art Institute, 1933.

Tynemouth Priory, England

Winslow Homer

1881

Accession Number

16837

Medium

Transparent watercolor, with traces of opaque watercolor, rewetting, blotting and touches of scraping, over graphite, on thick, rough-textured, cream wove paper (top and lower edges trimmed)

Dimensions

26.2 × 50.5 cm (10 3/8 × 19 15/16 in.)

Classification

watercolor

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection

Background & Context

Background Story

Winslow Homer's Tynemouth Priory, England shows the ruins of the medieval priory at Tynemouth on the English coast. Homer painted this during his stay in England, capturing the dramatic contrast between the ancient ruins and the wild North Sea.

Cultural Impact

Homer's English works capture the drama of the North Sea coast.

Why It Matters

This view of Tynemouth Priory contrasts ancient ruins with the wild sea.