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 × 349 mm
frame: 714 × 650 × 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.

Explore

architecture(41,310)
- public and municipal(2,388)
- - railway station(110)
emotions, concepts and ideas(16,532)
- emotions and human qualities(5,350)
- - contemplation(146)
  - sadness(203)
history(5,785)
- politics and society(2,351)
- - society: emigration, 19th c.(5)
objects(23,363)
- clothing and personal items(5,879)
- - suitcase(26)
- vessels and containers(2,152)
- - basket(485)
people(35,143)
- actions: postures and motions(9,097)
- - legs crossed(147)
  - sitting(3,323)
  - standing(3,131)
- adults(22,743)
- - man(10,483)
  - woman(9,059)
- groups(5,185)
- - group(4,248)
places(41,571)
- cities, towns, villages (non-UK)(13,311)
- - Ballinasloe(1)
- countries and continents(17,408)
- - Ireland(315)
society(34,939)
- social comment(6,603)
- - displacement(24)
  - migration(20)
- transport: land(2,938)
- - train(214)

You might like

John Robertson Reid A Country Cricket Match

1878

On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
John Robertson Reid Toil and Pleasure

1879

On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
Richard Redgrave The Emigrant’s Last Sight of Home

1858

On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
Thomas Faed Faults on Both Sides

1861
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
Abraham Solomon Waiting for the Verdict

1857
Arthur Boyd Houghton Punch and Judy

c.1860
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

On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
Sir William Quiller Orchardson Her First Dance

1884

On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
Robert Braithwaite Martineau The Last Day in the Old Home

1862
George Bernard O’Neill The Foundling

1852
Erskine Nicol Donnybrook Fair

1859
John Phillip The Prison Window

1857

In the shop

Browse the shop