Arthur Boyd Houghton

Ramsgate Sands

c.1861

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

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Not on display

Artist: Arthur Boyd Houghton 1836–1875
Medium: Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions: Support: 241 x 298 mm
frame: 440 x 490 x 90 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Presented by Miss Helen Devitt in memory of Sir Thomas Devitt Bt 1924
Reference: N03907

Display caption

The model for the central figure in this picture was Houghton's wife, Susan. Houghton often took his young family on trips to the seaside, and Ramsgate was a favourite destination.
The informal atmopshere, and the loosely handled, thin paint suggests that this picture was probably painted on the spot.
Susan Houghton was a constant source of inspiration for the artist, and she appears in many of his works, including 'Volunteers', which hangs above.

Gallery label, April 1995

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