Fishing

In Fishmongers Hall , under the west side of the foot of London Bridge there is a wonderful collection of historic fish paintings, sculptures and artefacts. Fishing is an ancient practice with  seafoods being a major part of our diet. Sea fishing is an exceptionally dangerous profession with unpredictable seas , freak waves and storms.

The ‘luggers’ were large fishing vessels up to 55′ long with 3 masts. A crew of 8-10 men roamed the North Sea and Western English Channel searching for herring and mackeral. They went on ‘voyages’ as far as southern Scotland for months at a time.

 

Charles Napier Hemy RA 1841-1917 was a British painter best known for his marine paintings.

Wellwood Rattray was a Scottish landscape painter and watercolourist. He was educated at Glasgow University. He exhibited at RA 1883-98, GG ,RSA, RSW and elsewhere. He received an Honourable Mention at the Paris Salon and also at the Paris International Exhibition in 1889. He painted almost entirely Scottish scenes.

Shrimps provided the mainstay of fishing in places like Morcambe Bay after it became a holiday destination in 1847. Shrimps were a fashionable food for afternoon tea in Victorian England. During the Industrial Revolution a lot of the work was done by child labour as well as women

Image coming soon.

• C Forster
• The Shrimp Picker
• Watercolour. Signed and dated 1879
• 54 x 48 cm

Recreational fishing became much more popular after the English Civil War. ‘ Compleat Angler’ was written by Izaak Walton in 1653 and described fishing in the River Wye , Derbyshire.

This article shows you the different types of fish that can be caught in our native rivers and canals.

• M Morland
• Fish on riverbank
• Oil on Canvas.
• Monogrammed and dated 1825
• Name and address verso
• Magnificent original gilt frame
• 47 x 69 cm