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Notes
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A large painting, unusual in its use of figures, subject matter and style, showing the disembarkation of cross-Channel steam-packet passengers from Calais to Dover, and their investigation by Customs men. In the foreground stands a man holding out his hands towards the man on the right. Immediately behind him are two bare-headed men, and the one in a dark jacket holds out a paper slightly menacingly for him to read. This group forms the principal focus of the picture, implying that the man in the red cap is a Customs official requiring the unwilling passenger to open his bags. To the right of the latter a woman wearing a fine white silk dress, presumably his wife or other relative, is posed in a gesture of alarm. The upper parts of the steam packet have been loosely painted with the red ensign prominently positioned on the stern.
No figure in the painting meets the gaze of any other. Only the dog looks directly out of the picture and confronts the viewer's eye. Communication is conveyed by dramatic hand gestures, and commentary takes place through the varied use of footwear and hats to identify nuances of social ordering. Most of the characters have similar facial expressions and emphasise the underlying tension within the composition. This is not surprising, given that what appears to be shown is the 'rummaging' of passengers for smuggled goods.
The composition is oddly proportioned, with intrusive verticals of masts and funnels and horizontals of sails and flags dissecting the space and destabilising the effect. The golden glow of Dover Castle is unsettling and the unconvincing background resembles a tableau backdrop. The artist has intentionally located the composition in England, shown by the castle, red ensign and white cliffs.
Title
Landing at Dover from the Steam Packet
Date
c.1826
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 96.5 x W 129.5 cm
Accession number
BHC1791
Work type
Painting
