Harold Harvey
Bringing in the catch, Newlyn Harbour, 1909
Oil on canvas
30.6 x 41.0 cm (12 x 16 1/8 ins)
Framed: 48.3 x 58.4 cm (19 x 23 ins)
Sold
Framed: 48.3 x 58.4 cm (19 x 23 ins)
Seaweed gatherers is a subject that Harvey returned to on a number of occasions, notably in 1905, 1911 and 1926. The present work, Seaweed Gatherers on Newlyn Beach 1904, is the earliest known example and is clearly an en plein air study. We see Newlyn Harbour and the headland up to Mousehole in the background. Harvey has wonderfully captured the movement of the horses and men, and their shimmering reflections in the water left by the retreating tide. The human and equine effort required to pull the heavy cart laden with seaweed, its wheels sinking into the wet sand, is all too apparent. A 1905 studio version of the same subject, with a border collie added to the composition but by comparison, a slightly stilted execution, sold at Sothebys in May 2011 for £49,250.
