A Summer's Day

William Stott, of Oldham R.B.A. 1857 - 1900

Summary

Summer scene of three young boys playing on a beach. All three are pictured naked whose figures can be seen reflected in pools of water left on the sand. The tide is low and the sea runs along the vast coast, reaching rocky cliffs in the background. A small boat can be seen to the far right of the painting. The painting is executed in a realist manner, depicting the young children in stark sunlight.

Display Label

A Summer's Day 1886 William Stott of Oldham 1857-1900 Oil on canvas Stott studied first in Manchester, moving to Paris in 1879 to become a student at the École des Beaux Arts. He called himself 'Stott of Oldham' to avoid confusion with Edward Stott, from Rochdale, who was also an artist. While seascapes were popular during the Victorian age, they tended to be narrative subjects or dramatic scenes. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the sea also became a focus for aesthetic contemplation. This example is largely given over to painterly effects, expressed across a broad expanse of sand, sea and sky. Nude figures were usually reserved for classical subjects, where perfected bodies were part of an accepted tradition. The naturalism of this scene, however, was controversial. FW Jackson gift 1915.8