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On the Bents, Aberdeen
On the Bents, Aberdeen

On the Bents, Aberdeen

Artist (Aberdeen, Scotland, 1844 - 1908)
Date1873
Mediumoil on canvas
ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings
DimensionsOverall: Height: 61.2 cm, Width: 91.6 cm
Frame: Height: 95.3 cm, Width: 125.9 cm
AcquisitionBequeathed in 1926 by J Stodart Mitchell.
CopyrightOut of copyright - CC0
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDAG003122
Other Titles
  • The Netmender
About MeLike his more famous brother George, Archy Reid was greatly influenced by the work of his Dutch contemporaries and particularly by that of Jozef Israels, who visited Aberdeen in 1870. 'On the Bents' reveals the very clear influence of Israels and in particular the series of paintings depicting fisherwomen seated on sand dunes, that Israels had worked on since 1857.

Archy Reid was not alone in Scotland in his taste for coastal scenes but his paintings came closer to the work of his Dutch contemporaries than any other Scottish artist and 'On the Bents' is a direct translation of Israels' much employed theme of a girl waiting on the shore for the return of the men from fishing - a theme which was also employed by David Artz, Bernard Blommers, German Grobe, Jacob Maris and, by the turn of the century, Jan Toorop.

However this painting has less sombre realism than many Dutch works - Archy relieves the tension somewhat by depicting his girl busy mending nets rather than gazing out to sea. The long, low format provided by such a composition and the subdued colours and emphasis on tone all point to the influence of Hague School artists.

The painting was bought by Aberdeen flour miller and art critic and collector John Forbes White, who had been the first man in Scotland to make contact with Hague School artists, including Jozef Israels. White lent the painting to the Royal Scottish Academy in 1878 where it was titled 'On the Sands'. There it was admired by Archy's contemporaries - fellow artist George Paul Chalmers reported enthusiastically to White that "Archie's [paintings] also look well. The one I like best is the "Woman on the Sands" which is beautiful."
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