Dover Pier, Kent

Cox's mastery of watercolor is apparent in this small sheet. Brightening light at the the horizon indicates dawn, while a crowd gathered on a pier and distant sails characterize a busy port. Although tiny, the figures are distinguished by a various colors and shapes which contrast with long flat strokes used in the sky and water to suggest calm. Cox was a leader of the Birmingham school and one of the period’s significant watercolorists. He showed mainly at the Society of Painters in Watercolours in London. Initially influenced by Richard Parkes Bonington and John Varley, by the 1830s Cox was known for his distinctive, washy handling developed to depict English country subjects centered on wind and weather. A related subject, "Dover from the Sea," 1831 (Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery) with similarly handled washes, suggests a possible date for the present work.