“Going out for the Night,” by Paul Falconer Poole, RA (1807-79)

Going out for the Night

Paul Falconer Poole, RA (1807-79)

Wood-engraving reproduction of original oil painting

1840s

Source: Meynell, “Pictures from the Hill Collection.”

See commentary below

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Commentary from The Magazine of Art

Mr. Poole's " Going out for the Night " is an excellent specimen of the artist's powers ; and there are many qualities in his painting which seem to gain strength in the woodcut which we give on the opposite page. It is a likeable picture. The sentiment is kindly and human ; the motive, in a conventional kind of way, is fairly artistic ; the situation presented is one that is interesting' to a vast number of persons. The father and breadwinner — an honest fisherman, with a boat of his own, and a good wife to work for — is pushing off into the darkness of night and the solitude of the sea. The wife and little one have come down to the beach to see him depart — perchance to help him with his lines, and to carry his food for him ; and now, with a last good-bye or two, they are turning to go home again, and leave him to his toil. Is that all? Not quite all. "Perhaps," says Mr. Poole, with a dark yet comfortable smile — "perhaps, good people, he may nerer come hack. The sea is treacherous and strong; boats are but frail, and men are but men ; along the coast there's many a woman goes to bed a fisher's wife, and gets up a fisher's widow. This time the chances are, I think, that the man will duly return, with a contented mind and a full load of fish; so you need not be more than tenderly anxious and pleasantly distressed. In a certain class of picture, perhaps, a note, a hint, a perhaps rather that of the designer and illustrator than that of the painter of pictures, hit upon a telling little subject in this work. [118-19]

Bibliography

Meynell, Alice. “Pictures from the Hill Collection.” The Magazine of Art. 5 (1882): 80-84, Internet Archive version of a copy in the University of Toronto Library. Web. 22 October 2014.

Last modified 22 October 2014