In Fresh Herring, David Farquharson (1939-1907) poignantly captures the atmosphere of a coastal fishing scene at the end of a day’s labour. Fishermen unload the day’s catch from beached boats, with horses and carts ready to carry the herring ashore. The sails of the boats are still raised, while the setting sun casts a soft light across the sand and sea. Farquharson, a largely self-taught Scottish landscapist, is known for his atmospheric renderings of natural light and weather. This painting reflects his later period, when he lived in Cornwall but frequently returned to Scottish subjects. His muted tonal palette and sensitive treatment of the shoreline environment recall the influence of French landscape and portrait painter Camille Corot (1796-1875).

David Farquharson ARA ARSA RSW, 1840-1907

Born in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Farquharson started work as an apprentice house painter but gave that up to concentrate on art, moving to Edinburgh in 1872. He was largely self-taught, although for a time he studied under Andrew Geddes in London. Farquharson was a tonal painter rather than a colourist, executing landscapes and coastal scenes in Scotland, England and The Netherlands in oil and, to a lesser extent, watercolour. He moved to London in 1886 and later settled in Sennen Cove, Cornwall, although he often visited Scotland.