A Fish Sale On A Cornish Beach…
(From Stanhope Forbes’ painting, 1884-85)
All heads are covered at low tide
By sou’westers, hats and shawls,
Whilst the auctioneer rings his shrill bell
To encourage what feels like an insular and communal
Activity: the bartering on the catch to sell,
Laid out upon sand bereft of plastic waste
And by herring gulls unencumbered.
The pace is sedate, the aura subliminal
As the fleet of luggers lies offshore,
Sails a-tugging in a sea-breeze, though not now in haste…
The serene trio posed in the foreground,
Near the listing skiff for carrying ashore
The fresh, white fish from the haul,
Contrasts starkly with the activity of the drab extras,
The supporting cast trading in the background.
Yet the spotlight falls on just those three
Dulling the the attraction of a drab, grey sea…
The bearded line-fisherman looks almost contemporary,
Whilst the woman wearing a straw hat ponders,
Shoulders warmed by her attractive shawl.
The apron of pale turquoise blending
With her companions’ skirt, ending
Below an apron, as she leans wearily
Against the grimy rowing boat, tarnished,
It appears. Yet the curious daylight deflects
From the catch and the shoreline and reflects
The route of the harvest to the upturned basket seat
Of the woman, right, chin upon hand, in contemplation.
She bargains, she trades, she bids for the trawl
Against the seaman’s placid haggling, in his bid to sell,
Which contrasts with the hustle of the auctioneer and his bell.
And the fleet of luggers tarries offshore,
Sails a-tugging in the sea-breeze, now in anticipation…
Pete Ray
7th July 2022
This painting took a good while for Stanhope Alexander Forbes to complete…
I like the fact that he was hindered by only being able to paint when there were grey skies and when the tide was out, which was added to by the difficulty of the accessibility of models…
Such a fine study of Newlyn life in the 19th century…
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