Lot Essay
Forbes's mother and aunt and other members of his family spent the months of July, August and September of 1886 at St.Ives which was chosen by them for its superior sands and bathing. Forbes was often with them and the whole family greatly enjoyed swimming.
A similar but smaller oil (7 1/2 x 11in.) of the same year, 'Beach Scene, St.Ives' is in the collection of the City of Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. Caroline Fox comments on this work 'the large expanse of empty sand in the foreground recalls the work of Whistler, while the small group of figures in the distance is reminiscent of Boudin. The unusually high horizon line is typical of the work of a follower of Lepage and the use of square-ended brushes is very evident in the surface texture'
(C. Fox, Stanhope Forbes and the Newlyn School, Devon, 1993, p.10 and C. Fox and F. Greenacre, Painting in Newlyn 1880-1930, Barbican Art Gallery Exhibition Catalogue, 1985, p.109)
A similar but smaller oil (7 1/2 x 11in.) of the same year, 'Beach Scene, St.Ives' is in the collection of the City of Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. Caroline Fox comments on this work 'the large expanse of empty sand in the foreground recalls the work of Whistler, while the small group of figures in the distance is reminiscent of Boudin. The unusually high horizon line is typical of the work of a follower of Lepage and the use of square-ended brushes is very evident in the surface texture'
(C. Fox, Stanhope Forbes and the Newlyn School, Devon, 1993, p.10 and C. Fox and F. Greenacre, Painting in Newlyn 1880-1930, Barbican Art Gallery Exhibition Catalogue, 1985, p.109)