John Brett

The British Channel Seen from the Dorsetshire Cliffs

1871

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Not on display

Artist: John Brett 1831–1902
Medium: Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions: Support: 1060 × 2127 mm
frame: 1390 × 2458 × 121 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Presented by Mrs Brett 1902
Reference: N01902

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Brett based this painting on detailed notes on colour and changes in the weather. He made these as he sailed round the south-west coast of England in the summer of 1870. However, the precise location of this view has not been confirmed so far. The patterns formed by the sunlight on the sea are the main focus of the painting. Brett had studied this effect closely and aimed to reproduce it accurately. Yet, when the painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy at the time, some viewers found Brett’s range of blues too vivid to be truly faithful to nature.

Gallery label, November 2019

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