Boppard on the Rhine

James Baker Pyne 1800 - 1870

Summary

A riverside scene which is busy with activity. Set a little distance from the left bank of the river is a line of ornate town buildings, dominated by a tall, square tower. Along the bank and in the shallows of the river is construction activity, with figures in the water handling bundles of timber, a multitude of boats, and a crane erected on the bank for transporting deliveries carried by boats on to the shore. In the foreground are women in the shallows of the river washing laundry. On the river is a steam packet followed by a smaller boat. The scene is set against a hazy, mountainous backdrop and a sky filled with bright clouds. Frame: Gilt moulded plaster decoration.

Display Label

Boppard on the Rhine 1858 James Baker Pyne 1800-1870 Oil on canvas The Rhine valley was a favourite subject of the period, made especially popular through the poetry of Byron and the art of JMW Turner. Pyne was strongly influenced by Turner's work, following in his footsteps on sketching tours to the continent from 1835 onwards. Turner's example is clearly echoed in this painting through its yellow/blue contrasts and silvery tones. Pyne's focus on human activity and steam travel, a new and widely-used means of European tourism, is a further reflection of Turner's interests. James Blair bequest 1917.159