The fisherman's tales

Langley made sketching trips to Newlyn from the early 1880s and in 1882 he moved to Cornwall permanently. The artist's early work was greatly influenced by the Hague School, Josef Israels, and the Maris Brothers, whose work had been admired in Britain since the 1860s and which Langley had seen while studying at the South Kensington Schools. Despite not studying abroad, Langley came under the influence of Stanhope Forbes and other Newlyn painters who had the opportunity to study in France. Langley is celebrated for his studies of Cornish fishermen based in and around Newlyn, focusing on the challenging livelihoods of its inhabitants and in particular exploring the psychological impact of a way of life dependent on the sea. The present example illustrates the more positive aspects of maritime life with the little boy sitting in rapt wonder, holding onto a model ship, as the elderly fisherman regales him with tales of his seafaring exploits.