Coast scene Devon, boats in foreground

Charles Samuel Keene 1823 - 1891

Summary

The line work of this print is very fine and precise which allows for different textures and tones to be subtly rendered. This is particularly evident in the cliffs which can be seen running across the background with the rocky cliff faces displayed in contrast to the softer landscape and grass above them. In the middle ground, separated from the cliffs by the sea are several boats which have been pulled up onto the shore. All of the boats are wooden rowing boats, but only one is visible in full to the viewer as the rest are either partially hidden by other boats or cut off at the edge of the print. The boat which is nearest is almost entirely out of the frame but before it there is a line in the sand and some crates which suggests it's path inland. In contrast to all this detail the immediate foreground is left empty creating a space for the viewer. From the print series 'Twenty-one Etchings' by Charles S. Keene. Printed by Frederick Goulding (1842–1909) and published by Astolat Press (Guildford, Surrey).