Eight Bells: The Boy at the Helm, from "Illustrated London News"

After Hamilton Macallum British, Scottish

January 1, 1876

Not on view

Macallum moved to London from Glasgow, after training in a merchant's office for what his father hoped would be a commercial career in India. Instead, the young man escaped to London in 1864 to study at the Royal Academy Schools. This print suggests that he had achieved a solid reputation by 1876. An accomplished sailor, the artist used a small yacht to sketch subjects in western of Scotland and Devon. Eight bells is the nautical term for twelve o'clock and we here see a youth left to tend the tiller at noon, presumably as his shipmates eat lunch. The slack line indicates a light breeze and little danger.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Eight Bells: The Boy at the Helm, from "Illustrated London News"
Series/Portfolio: Illustrated London News
Artist: After Hamilton Macallum (British, Kames, Scotland 1841–1896 Deer, Devon)
Date: January 1, 1876
Medium: Wood engraving
Dimensions: Sheet: 9 1/8 × 14 1/16 in. (23.2 × 35.7 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of Donato Esposito, 2019
Object Number: 2019.279.11
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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