Erskine Nicol

The Emigrants

1864

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

License this image

Not on display
Artist
Erskine Nicol 1825–1904
Medium
Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions
Support: 457 x 349 mm
frame: 714 x 650 x 115 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Presented by Sir Henry Tate 1894
Reference
N01538

Display caption

This picture shows Irish emigrants at Ballinasloe station on their way to Galway to board boats to America. This is one of a number of paintings on the very topical subject of emigration which appeared at public exhibitions around this time. They were intended to draw attention to the plight of the poor, and also to provoke a charitable response in the spectator.Erskine Nicol was born in Scotland but established his reputation painting Irish subjects.

Gallery label, July 2007

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.

Victorian / Genre

Explore

You might like

Left Right
John Robertson Reid, ‘Toil and Pleasure’ 1879

John Robertson Reid Toil and Pleasure

1879
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
John Robertson Reid, ‘A Country Cricket Match’ 1878

John Robertson Reid A Country Cricket Match

1878
Richard Redgrave, ‘The Emigrant’s Last Sight of Home’ 1858

Richard Redgrave The Emigrant’s Last Sight of Home

1858
Thomas Faed, ‘Faults on Both Sides’ 1861

Thomas Faed Faults on Both Sides

1861
William Maw Egley, ‘Omnibus Life in London’ 1859

William Maw Egley Omnibus Life in London

1859
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
Sir William Quiller Orchardson, ‘Napoleon on Board the Bellerophon’ exhibited 1880

Sir William Quiller Orchardson Napoleon on Board the Bellerophon

exhibited 1880
Abraham Solomon, ‘Waiting for the Verdict’ 1857

Abraham Solomon Waiting for the Verdict

1857
Sir John Everett Millais, Bt, ‘The North-West Passage’ 1874

Sir John Everett Millais, Bt The North-West Passage

1874
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
Arthur Boyd Houghton, ‘Punch and Judy’ c.1860

Arthur Boyd Houghton Punch and Judy

c.1860
Augustus Leopold Egg, ‘Past and Present, No. 1’ 1858

Augustus Leopold Egg Past and Present, No. 1

1858
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
William Powell Frith, ‘The Derby Day’ 1856–8

William Powell Frith The Derby Day

1856–8
William Bell Scott, ‘The Eve of the Deluge’ 1865

William Bell Scott The Eve of the Deluge

1865
Sir William Quiller Orchardson, ‘Her First Dance’ 1884

Sir William Quiller Orchardson Her First Dance

1884
Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, ‘A Dialogue at Waterloo’ exhibited 1850

Sir Edwin Henry Landseer A Dialogue at Waterloo

exhibited 1850
Robert Braithwaite Martineau, ‘The Last Day in the Old Home’ 1862

Robert Braithwaite Martineau The Last Day in the Old Home

1862