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Richard Parkes Bonington, 1802–1828, British, A Fish-market near Boulogne, 1824

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Creator:

Richard Parkes Bonington, 1802–1828

Title:

A Fish-market near Boulogne

Former Title(s):

Fishmarket

A Fish Market near Boulogne

Fish-market, Boulogne

Fish Market

Date:

1824

Materials & Techniques:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

32 3/8 x 48 1/4 inches (82.2 x 122.6 cm), Frame: 39 1/8 × 55 × 3 1/8 inches (99.4 × 139.7 × 7.9 cm)

Credit Line:

Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection

Copyright Status:

Public Domain

Accession Number:

B1981.25.50

Classification:

Paintings

Collection:

Paintings and Sculpture

Link to Frame:

B1981.25.50FR

Subject Terms:

Associated Places:

Boulogne-sur-Mer | Dunkerque | France | Nord-Pas-de-Calais

Access:

Not on view

Link:

https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:5023

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Richard Parkes Bonington lived in France for most of his short life, training in the studio of Antoine Jean Gros, where he met and befriended Eugène Delacroix. He began painting in oils in about 1823, and his earliest oil paintings are predominantly of scenes along the coasts of Normandy and Picardy. While it had previously been suggested that A Fish Market near Boulogne was one of the paintings that caused a sensation at the Paris Salon of 1824, and for which Bonington was awarded a gold medal, this now seems less likely. Nonetheless, A Fish Market is without question one of the most ambitious and accomplished of his early paintings.

Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2022

Richard Parkes Bonington lived in France for most of his short life, training in the studio of Antoine-Jean Gros, where he met and befriended Eugène Delacroix. He began painting in oils in about 1823, and his earliest oil paintings are predominantly of scenes along the coasts of Normandy and Picardy. While it had previously been suggested that A Fish-market near Boulogne was one of the paintings that caused a sensation at the Paris Salon of 1824, and for which Bonington was awarded a gold medal, this now seems less likely. Nonetheless, A Fish-market is without question one of the most ambitious and accomplished of his early paintings. Within four years, his career as a painter would be cut short by tuberculosis.

Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016

Richard Parkes Bonington spent most of his artistic career in France. In February 1824, he traveled to Dunkirk, in northern France, where he devoted himself to marine painting. While there, Bonington made A Fish-Market near Boulogne, one of his largest oil paintings and, undoubtedly, his masterpiece in coastal views. Against a ravishing golden sky, fishermen unload their catch and gather the first buyers of the day. The subtle variations of clear light and reflections on the smooth water are painted with a fluid technique that Bonington had mastered in his watercolors. The young artist created a sensation at the 1824 Paris Salon, where he exhibited his oil paintings for the first time and was awarded the gold medal for a marine painting, possibly this very same one.

Gallery label for the Critique of Reason: Romantic Art (Yale Center for British Art, 2015-03-06 - 2015-07-26)

Bonington spent most of his short life in France and probably painted this view of a fish market at sunrise in 1824, when he lived for ten months in the northern port of Dunkerque. Though sometimes identified as the fishmarket at Boulogne, forty miles southwest of Dunkerque, the scene may well be a composite rather than an accurate record of a particular place. It is among Bonington's most ambitious paintings, and perhaps his greatest success in bringing to oils the subtle observation of light and atmosphere that he had mastered as a landscape watercolorist.

Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2005

The Fishmarket is among Bonington's largest and most ambitious paintings in oil, and perhaps his greatest success in bringing to oil painting the subtle observation of light and atmosphere that he had mastered as a landscape watercolorist. The gradually warming light of dawn appears suspended in the atmosphere, veiling buildings with its golden glow, soaking through the sails of the nearer fishing boats, dissolving the distant ones into the sky. Against this scene of natural glory, the buyers and sellers of ?sh carry on their distinctly unglorious business crowded together in shadow. The artist sees what they do not, finding beauty in the morning sky, the reflections on wet sand, the slithering catch of skate and eels; he takes a delight in luminosity and gleaming freshness for their own sakes, almost as abstract qualities separate from the mundane realities they are associated with. As Bonington's friend Eugène Delacroix remarked, he possessed a quickness of the eye and lightness of touch that made his work "a type of diamond which flatters and ravishes the eye, independently of any subject and any imitation."

Bonington lived in France for most of his short life, and his favorite source of subject matter at this early point in his career was the landscape, architecture, and people of northern France. The Fishmarket represents a scene in that region and probably dates from the year 1824, during the ten months that the artist spent living and working in Dunkerque; he later described this as "the happiest year of my life." The work has generally been described as showing the fishmarket in Boulogne, about forty miles southwest of Dunkerque. There is no record of its being described as such in the artist's lifetime, however, and the idea seems to have appeared for the first time in print as late as 1857, when the work belonged to the great Turner collector H. A. J. Munro of Novar. The fact that the coast at Boulogne faces due west is surely incompatible with a view of the sun rising over the sea, and Bonington's intention may in fact have been to show a type of scene-perhaps composed of observations in different places-rather than a view of a particular place. He made chalk drawings of ?sherfolk while staying in Dunkerque and probably used some of these as the basis for figures in the Fishmarket. The three figures of women carrying baskets on their backs, one of them near the water's edge on the right and the others to the left of the main group, might well have been based on drawings of the same model in the same pose seen from different angles.

In all likelihood the Fishmarket was the painting Bonington exhibited as Marine. Fishermen Unloading Their Catch at the Paris Salon that opened on August 25, 1824. This was not only his debut as an exhibiting oil painter (he showed four oils, three of them marine subjects, along with a watercolor and a lithograph), but also a landmark exhibition for the showing of British art in France. The Boningtons were part of a British contingent that included two portraits by Thomas Lawrence and three landscapes by John Constable, including The Haywain (National Gallery, London). These were the talk of the exhibition; both Bonington and Constable were awarded gold medals, and Lawrence was made a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur. Aged only twenty-one, Bonington became almost a cult figure among French artists and connoisseurs of a certain Romantic and Anglophile frame of mind, who found in his work a naturalness and freedom they felt had been stifled in their own national school. To the academic old guard, on the other hand, it represented a dangerous taste for mere realism and "low" subjects, a threat to the classical ideal. "I avow that a sad sky, or a surging sea, or briney ?shermen disputing in the middle of a pile of fish have little attraction for me," wrote the critic Etienne Delécluze in his review of the 1824 Salon. "The truth of the imitation actually enhances my aversion, and I inadvertently step aside to where I am able to view the radiant landscapes of Greece and Italy."

Malcolm Warner

Malcolm Warner, This other Eden, paintings from the Yale Center for British Art, Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT, 1998, p. 140, no. 56, ND1314.3 Y36 1998 (YCBA)

In a New Light: Paintings from the Yale Center for British Art (Yale University Art Gallery, 2023-03-24 - 2023-12-03) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition] [Exhibition Description]

The Critique of Reason : Romantic Art, 1760–1860 (Yale University Art Gallery, 2015-03-06 - 2015-07-26) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

Constable to Delacroix : British Art and the French Romantics 1820-1840 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2003-09-29 - 2004-01-04) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

Constable to Delacroix : British Art and the French Romantics 1820-1840 (Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 2003-06-01 - 2003-08-27) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

Constable to Delacroix : British Art and the French Romantics 1820-1840 (Tate Britain, 2003-02-06 - 2003-05-11) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

This Other Eden : British Paintings from the Paul Mellon Collection at Yale (Art Gallery of South Australia, 1998-09-16 - 1998-11-15) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition] [Exhibition Description]

This Other Eden : British Paintings from the Paul Mellon Collection at Yale (Queensland Art Gallery, 1998-07-15 - 1998-09-06) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition] [Exhibition Description]

This Other Eden : British Paintings from the Paul Mellon Collection at Yale (Art Gallery of New South Wales, 1998-05-01 - 1998-07-05) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition] [Exhibition Description]

Richard Parkes Bonington (Musée du Petit Palais, 1992-03-05 - 1992-05-17) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

Richard Parkes Bonington (Yale Center for British Art, 1991-11-13 - 1992-01-19) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

Presences of Nature - British Landscape 1780-1830 (Yale Center for British Art, 1982-10-20 - 1983-02-27) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

Painting in England 1700-1850 - From The Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon (Yale University Art Gallery, 1965-04-15 - 1965-06-20) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

"Notice sur l'exposition des tableau en 1824", Revue encyclope´dique, ou Analyse raisonne´e des productions les plus remarquables., Paris, p. 316, A84 15 (LSF) [ORBIS]

Steven Adams, The Barbizon School & the origins of Impressionism, Phaidon, London, 1994, p. 50, no. 37, ND547.5 B3 A32 1994 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Sir Geoffrey Agnew, Yale's 1700 Mellon Pictures, The Times (London), , April 28, 1977, p. 9, Times Digital Archive [ORBIS]

Dore Ashton, Prime Mover : Richard Parkes Bonington at the beginnings of Modernism, , Arts Magazine, vol. 66, March 1992, pp. 62-63, N1 A415 OVERSIZE (HAAS) [ORBIS]

British Art at Yale, Apollo, vol.105, April 1977, pp. 290-291, fig. 10, N1 .A54 + OVERSIZE (YCBA) [YCBA]

David Blayney Brown, Coasting : Turner and Bonington on the shores of the Channel, , Nottingham City Council Museums and Galleries, Nottingham, 2008, p. 25, fig. 3, NJ18 T85 B774 2008 + (YCBA) [YCBA]

David Blayney Brown, Paris, Petit Palais - Bonington, Burlington Magazine, vol. 134, May 1992, p. 327, fig. 57, N1 B87 + (YCBA) [YCBA]

Christie's sale catalogue : Catalogue of the modern portion of the celebrated collection of pictures known as Novar Collection ... : 6 April 1878, Christie's, April 6, 1878, p. 3, Lot 3, Fiche B51 (YCBA) Also available online : Art Sales Catalogues Online - Lugt # 38231 [YCBA]

Malcolm Cormack, A Selective Promenade, Apollo, vol.105, April 1977, pp. 290-291, fig. 10, N1 A54 + (YCBA) [YCBA]

Malcolm Cormack, Bonington, Phaidon, Oxford, 1989, pp. 38-39, 56-57, 58, 96, 97, 100, 150, no. 24, NJ18 B65 C67 + (YCBA) [YCBA]

Malcolm Cormack, Concise Catalogue of Paintings in the Yale Center for British Art, Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT, 1985, pp. 24-25, N590.2 .A83 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Etienne Delecluz, Exposition du Louvre--no. XX, Journal des débats politiques et littéraires, Paris, November 30, 1824, p.2, RetroNews [ORBIS]

A. Dubuisson, Richard Parkes Bonington : His life and work, , John Lane, London, 1924, pp. 118, 119, 120, 127, 148, NJ18 B65 +D8 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Stephen Duffy, Richard Parkes Bonington, Trustees of the Wallace Collection, London, 2003, p. 12, NJ18 B65 D84 2003 + (YCBA) [YCBA]

Exhibition of works by the old masters and deceased masters of the British School : Sixteenth Winter Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, 1885, p. 6, no. 3, Fiche B121 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Exhibition of Works by the Old Masters and deceased masters of the British School. . . Winter Exhibition, thirty-fourth year, Royal Academy of Arts, 1903, p. 13, no. 40, Fiche B138 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Fishmarket, Boulogne, Connoisseur, vol. 142, November 1958, p. 82, N1 C75+ (YCBA) [YCBA]

Maurice Gobin, R. P. Bonington, 1802-1828, Braun, Paris, 1955, fig. 2, NJ18 B65 G62 1955 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Louis Hawes, Presences of Nature : British Landscape, 1780-1830, , Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT, 1982, pp. 72, 138, no. II.23, pl. 60, ND1354.4 H38 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Luke Herrmann, Nineteenth century British painting, Giles de la Mare, London, 2000, no. 32, ND467 H47 2000 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Luke Herrmann, The Paul Mellon Collection at Burlington House, Connoisseur, vol. 157, December 1964, p. 221, N1 C75 + OVERSIZE (YCBA) [YCBA]

Augustin Jal, L'artiste et le philosophe : entretiens critiques sur le Salon de 1824, Ponthieu, Paris, 1824, p. 417, N5068 1824 J3 1824 (SML) [ORBIS]

Duncan Macmillan, Scotland and the Origins of Modern Art, Lund Humphries, London, 2023, p.180, fig.88, N6775 M33 2023 YCBA [ORBIS]

Julia Marciari-Alexander, This other Eden : Paintings from the Yale Center for British Art, , Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT, 1998, p. 140, no. 56, ND1314.3 Y36 1998 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Cosmo Monkhouse, Earlier English Water-Colour Painters, VI : Francia, Bonington and Cotman, , Portfolio, vol. 19, January 1888, pp. 118-119, British Periodicals [ORBIS]

Patrick Noon, Constable to Delacroix : British art and the French romanticism, , Tate Publishing, London, 2003, p. 57, no. 7, ND457 N66 2003 + (YCBA) [YCBA]

Patrick Noon, Crossing the Channel : British and French painting in the age of romanticism, Tate Publishing, London, p. 57, no. 7, ND467.5.R6 N66 2003 Oversize (YCBA) [YCBA]

Patrick Noon, Richard Parkes Bonington : "On the pleasure of painting", , Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, 1991, p.116-17..., no. 29, NJ18 B65 N66 1991 + (YCBA) [YCBA]

Patrick Noon, Richard Parkes Bonington : the complete paintings, , Yale University Press, New Haven, 2008, p. 86, 149, 194, no. 171, NJ18 B65 A12 N66 2008 + (YCBA) [YCBA]

On the Genius of Bonington and His Works, Arnold's Magazine of the Fine Arts, vol. 1, June 1833, p. 148, British Periodicals [ORBIS]

Painting in England : 1700-1850, Arts Review, vol. 37, April 1963, p. 21, V 2337 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Painting in England 1700-1850 : collection of Mr. & Mrs. Paul Mellon : Exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, , , Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA, 1963, p. 88 (v.1), no. 129, pl. 18, ND466 V57 v.1-2 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Painting in England 1700-1850 from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, The Royal Academy of Arts Winter Exhibition 1964-65., , Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK, 1964, p. 46 (v.1), no. 170, N5220.M45 R69 1964 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Paul Mellon's Legacy : a passion for British art [large print labels], , Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT, 2007, v. 3, N5220 M552 P381 2007 OVERSIZE (YCBA) [YCBA]

Carlos Peacock, Richard Parkes Bonington, Barrie & Jenkins, London, 1979, p. 53, 55, NJ18 B65 P43 1979 (LC)+ (YCBA) [YCBA]

Pictures, watercolours and drawings by R.P. Bonington : in aid of the King's Lynn Festival Fund : Thomas Agnew, February 26 to March 17, 1962, , Thos. Agnew and Sons Ltd., London, 1962, p. 7, no. 5, pl. 5, NJ18 B65 A54 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Marcia R. Pointon, Bonington, Francia & Wyld, B.T. Batsford, London, 1985, pp. 152-53, fig. 72, NJ18 B65 A12 P65 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Christine Riding, Turner on Tour, National Gallery Global, London, London, 2022, pp. 18, fig. 7, NJ18 T85 R53 2022 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Sales, Athenaeum, , April, 1878, p. 483, British Periodicals [ORBIS]

Robin Simon, The trouble with Bonington : The rediscovery of a major European master, , Apollo, vol. 135, February 1992, pp. 71-72, N1 A54 135:1 OVERSIZE [ORBIS]

The British Council, Le paysage Anglais : de Gainsborough a Turner, , Les Presses Artistiques, Paris, April 1953, no. 4, pl. 30, ND1354 P26 1953A (YCBA) [YCBA]

The critique of reason : Romantic art, 1760-1860 : March 6-July 26, 2015, Yale University Art Gallery, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, 2015, [pp. 6, 7], fig. 10, V 2574 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Visits to Private Galleries of the British School - The Collection of Hugh Munro, Esq., Hamilton Place, Piccadilly, Art Journal, vol. 3, May 1857, p. 134, British Periodicals [ORBIS]

John Wilmerding, Essays in honor of Paul Mellon, collector and benefactor : Essays, , National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC & Hanover, NH, 1986, pp. 238-253, fig. 1, N7442.2 M455 1986 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Yale Center for British Art, Selected paintings, drawings & books, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 1977, p. 37, N590.2 A82 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Yale University Art Gallery, Painting in England, 1700-1850, from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon : [exhibition at] Yale University Art Gallery, April 15-June 20, 1965, , vol. 1, W. Clowes and sons, New Haven, 1965, p. 4 (v.1), no. 13, ND466 Y35 (YCBA) [YCBA]

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