Return of the Lifeboat
Date1879
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsObject/Work: 670 x 1260 mm
ClassificationsArtworks/Commemorations/Photographs
Terms
Object numberGA0642
DescriptionThe returning of a lifeboat was a recurring subject for Miles' seascapes, as well as for a number of his contemporaries. Miles is best known for producing dramatic scenes which vividly depict the human struggle against the sublime elements of ocean and weather. In this scene we see a filled lifeboat returning to port waiting to be met by their families and fellow seamen. Encroaching in the distance can be seen a powerful storm under which other boats in distress can be seen on the horizon. Miles painted the same building on the pier in a number of paintings, and the location has been identified by Art Detective UK volunteer contributor Alistair Brown, who sadly died earlier this year, as Yarmouth Haven.Miles had a unique ability to capture accurately the rolling waves and ocean spray - elements which charge his seascapes with dramatic, swirling energy. Such detailed, realistic and community focussed imagery provide us with a unique insight into the daily toils and dangers of nineteenth-century coastal industries where people lived and worked at the mercy of the sea.
You can view this work and many others from our collection also at: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/return-of-the-lifeboat-193344
On View
Not on viewCollections
c.1880 - 1912
