Philip Wilson Steer (1860-1942), Yachts Lying Off Cowes: Evening (1892)
Philip Wilson Steer, a well-known British painter of seascapes and portraits, was a leading figure in the British Impressionist movement. He was greatly influenced by painters such as James McNeill Whistler and Edouard Manet and was greatly criticized for his Impressionist works. The small yet visible brushstrokes along with his detailed depiction of the yacht lights give a very eerie tone to this piece. The dark, brooding colors in this painting also help to create a sense of the “unknown”, which was a very prominent theme in various works of art at the time, including the works of T.E. Hulme.
“Above the quiet dock in mid night,
Tangled in the tall mast’s corded height,
Hangs the moon. What seemed so far away
Is but a child’s balloon, forgotten after play.” – Above the Dock, T.E. Hulme
