Calais Pier, after Turner
Seymour Haden was the unlikely combination of a surgeon and an etcher. Although he pursued a very successful medical career, he is mostly remembered for his etched work as well as for his writings on etching. He was one of a group of artists, including James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) and Alphonse Legros (1837–1911), whose passionate interest in the medium led to the Etching Revival, a movement that lasted well into the twentieth century. The extolling of etching for its inherent spontaneous qualities reached its pinnacle during this time. While the line of the etching needle, Haden wrote, was "free, expressive, full of vivacity," that of the burin was "cold, constrained, uninteresting," and "without identity."
This example of Haden's work, based on a famous painting by Turner, shows fishermen struggling to bring boats in high waves to an adjacent pier. Harrington's early catalogue describes it as an example of "Trial Proof(b)" with "only the sails of the largest fishing-boat slightly shaded. The left half of the foreground up to the hulls of the fishing-boat is almost entirely blank. The distant ship has no masts." [p. 78]
Schneiderman later designated the print a second state, noting: "The sails of the largest fishing boat, at the left of center plate, were lightly etched and the shading on the pier etched heavily. The lower part of the mainmast of the distant ship in center is not indicated. The water in the left foreground is roughly indicated, but before the strong crest. There is no work in the sky." [p. 287]
This example of Haden's work, based on a famous painting by Turner, shows fishermen struggling to bring boats in high waves to an adjacent pier. Harrington's early catalogue describes it as an example of "Trial Proof(b)" with "only the sails of the largest fishing-boat slightly shaded. The left half of the foreground up to the hulls of the fishing-boat is almost entirely blank. The distant ship has no masts." [p. 78]
Schneiderman later designated the print a second state, noting: "The sails of the largest fishing boat, at the left of center plate, were lightly etched and the shading on the pier etched heavily. The lower part of the mainmast of the distant ship in center is not indicated. The water in the left foreground is roughly indicated, but before the strong crest. There is no work in the sky." [p. 287]
Artwork Details
- Title: Calais Pier, after Turner
- Artist: Sir Francis Seymour Haden (British, London 1818–1910 Bramdean, Hampshire)
- Artist: After Joseph Mallord William Turner (British, London 1775–1851 London)
- Date: 1870
- Medium: Etching with drypoint and mezzotint; trial proof b (Harrington); second state of twelve (Schneiderman)
- Dimensions: Sheet (trimmed): 10 1/4 × 14 5/16 in. (26.1 × 36.4 cm)
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of William Loring Andrews, 1883, transferred from the Library
- Object Number: 83.1.39
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Sir Francis Seymour Haden
The Fine Art Society, London
1879
Sir Francis Seymour Haden
The Fine Art Society, London
1879
Sir Francis Seymour Haden
1864
Sir Francis Seymour Haden
1865
Sir Francis Seymour Haden
1860
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.