Henry Scott Tuke

All Hands to the Pumps

1888–9

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

License this image

In Tate Britain

Walk Through British Art: 1840

Free entry
Artist
Henry Scott Tuke 1858–1929
Medium
Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions
Support: 1854 x 1397 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Presented by the Trustees of the Chantrey Bequest 1889
Reference
N01618

Display caption

This picture shows a ship that has lost one of its sails, and is being swamped by a storm. The crew desperately pump water out of the hull. Tuke painted this scene aboard an old French brig anchored in Falmouth Harbour. He had lived in Falmouth as a boy, but in 1885 decided to leave London to settle there permanently encouraged by the Newlyn School of open-air painters. In Cornwall he focused on painting the male nude in the open air but also produced marine subjects like this.

Gallery label, November 2016

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

Catalogue entry

N01618 ALL HANDS TO THE PUMPS 1888–9

Inscr. ‘H. S. Tuke. 1889’ b.r.
Canvas, 73×55 (185·5×140).
Chantrey Purchase from the artist 1889.
Exh: R.A., 1889 (464); R.A., Late Members, winter 1933 (286).
Lit: C. Kains-Jackson in Magazine of Art, 1902, pp.338 and 342–3, repr. p.339; Art Journal, 1907, pp.358–9, repr.; Sainsbury, 1933, pp.86–8.
Repr: Sir Edward J. Poynter, The National Gallery, III, 1900, p.283.

At the time of painting this picture Tuke was living aboard an old French brigatine, the Julie, anchored in Falmouth Harbour. In a letter to his mother, dated 27 September 1888 (quoted by Sainsbury, loc. cit.), he noted ‘...I am just ordering a stretcher for my great pumping picture which is to be rather a big venture, about ten figures altogether. Unfortunately they come rather small, only about 2 ft. high, tho’ the picture is to be 6 ft. by 4 1/2; all this is quite contrary to your notions of my doing small pictures, but I am rather of Mr Bartlett's opinion that “the big uns get yer name up, Tooke”. Only seven instead of ten figures are included in the final composition, a reduction which allowed greater scale for each figure. Tuke owned a small fleet of sailing and rowing boats from which he painted studies of boats and shipping in Falmouth Bay. ‘All Hands to the Pumps’ was finished by the middle of March 1889.

Published in:
Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, London 1964, II

Newlyn school Victorian/Genre

Explore

You might like

Henry Scott Tuke, ‘August Blue’ 1893–4

Henry Scott Tuke August Blue

1893–4
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art N01613
Stanhope Alexander Forbes, ‘The Health of the Bride’ 1889

Stanhope Alexander Forbes The Health of the Bride

1889
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art N01544
Henry Scott Tuke, ‘Mrs Florence Humphris’ 1892

Henry Scott Tuke Mrs Florence Humphris

1892
N04470
James Clarke Hook, ‘Wreckage from the Fruiter’ 1889

James Clarke Hook Wreckage from the Fruiter

1889
N02252
Henry Scott Tuke, ‘Sketchbook containing sketches of figures, architecture, boats and landscapes in France and UK’ July 1878

Henry Scott Tuke Sketchbook containing sketches of figures, architecture, boats and landscapes in France and UK

July 1878
TGA 9019/1/3/2
Henry Scott Tuke, ‘Register of paintings by Henry Scott Tuke’ 1879–1923

Henry Scott Tuke Register of paintings by Henry Scott Tuke

1879–1923
TGA 9019/1/2/1
Henry Scott Tuke, Barbara Marshall, ‘Scrap book containing watercolours by Henry Scott Tuke’ 1892–1913

Henry Scott Tuke, Barbara Marshall Scrap book containing watercolours by Henry Scott Tuke

1892–1913
TGA 9019/1/3/4
Anonymous, ‘Postcard showing Henry Scott Tuke sailing his yacht ‘Flamingo’’ [c.1899–1904]

Anonymous Postcard showing Henry Scott Tuke sailing his yacht ‘Flamingo’

[c.1899–1904]
TGA 9019/1/4/6/1
George Henry Boughton, ‘Weeding the Pavement’ 1882

George Henry Boughton Weeding the Pavement

1882
N01539
Anonymous, ‘Mounted photograph of Henry Scott Tuke with Albert Chevalier Tayler’ [c.1883]

Anonymous Mounted photograph of Henry Scott Tuke with Albert Chevalier Tayler

[c.1883]
TGA 9019/1/4/2/6
Henry Scott Tuke, ‘Sketchbook containing sketches of figures, landscapes, ships and architecture in UK and Belgium’ 19 July 1877–23 February 1878

Henry Scott Tuke Sketchbook containing sketches of figures, landscapes, ships and architecture in UK and Belgium

19 July 1877–23 February 1878
TGA 9019/1/3/1
Charles Napier Hemy, ‘Pilchards’ 1897

Charles Napier Hemy Pilchards

1897
N01650

Henry Scott Tuke Sketchbook containing sketches of ships, horses, figures and street scenes

date not known
TGA 9019/1/3/7
Henry Scott Tuke, ‘Sketch entitled ‘The Park’ by Henry Scott Tuke’ 28 June 1879

Henry Scott Tuke Sketch entitled ‘The Park’ by Henry Scott Tuke

28 June 1879
TGA 9019/1/3/3
Albert Goodwin, ‘Shipwreck: Sinbad the Sailor Storing his Raft’ 1887

Albert Goodwin Shipwreck: Sinbad the Sailor Storing his Raft

1887
N01550