The West Wind, Lynmouth
Coastal cliffs in North Devon sweep away to the west, with sandbanks in the middle-distance marking the outflow of the river Lyn into the Bristol Channel. A green expanse above denotes Exmoor. The artist’s scraping creates lines of breaking surf, and the scale of the watery expanse is emphasized by a tiny steamboat threatened by curtains of rain. At the horizon, the sun breaks through clouds to cast pink reflections across the sea. Poynter, a leading academic painter known for realistic evocations of ancient Rome and biblical subjects, practiced watercolor mostly for his own pleasure. This work was bought by his brother-in-law, the politician Alfred Baldwin, who lent it to important exhibitions at Vienna (1873), the Grosvenor Gallery (1877), and the Fine Art Society (1903).
Artwork Details
- Title: The West Wind, Lynmouth
- Artist: Sir Edward John Poynter (British (born France), Paris 1836–1919 London)
- Date: 1866
- Medium: Watercolor and gouache (bodycolor)
- Dimensions: Sheet: 12 in. × 18 1/4 in. (30.5 × 46.4 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Harry G. Sperling Fund, 2015
- Object Number: 2015.546
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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Sir Edward John Poynter
Joseph Swain
October 4, 1862
Multiple artists/makers
1864–81
Multiple artists/makers
1864–81
Multiple artists/makers
1864–81
Multiple artists/makers
1863–81
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