RSA Scottish Art
Foreshore at Footdee
 | Artist: Frances Walker |
| Title: Foreshore at Footdee | |
| Year: 1980 | |
| Medium: oil on board | |
| Dimensions: | |
| Suggested topic: | |
| Source: RSA Diploma Collection | |
| View full screen image of this work | |
| Open print version of this work | |
| © the artist | |
| Description: Frances Walker's work has often explored the city of Aberdeen, with its buildings and its shore, as well as the countryside and the coast beyond. The tightly-knit fishing community of Footdee, shown here, is situated at the mouth of the river Dee, a little enclave surrounded by the city of Aberdeen. With a meticulous attention to detail the artist has depicted a deserted shoreline and yet she has included references to people and industry in the distant buildings and in the flotsam and jetsam amongst the rocks. The scene shows the soft, almost glowing colours of the stony beach, but in order for us to appreciate this we also need to be able to see the darker and less attractive view of the city beyond.The painting has been executed with painstaking care. Each rock has been carefully detailed, even those that are farther away. The varied decorative textures and patterns have been emphasised by the artist and rendered in pale, chalky tones, with the palette concentrating on the granite hues of grey and pink. The small pebbles are shown getting smaller as they recede into the distance, which is essential for us if we are to believe in the scene as a depiction of a real physical space.The mood of this picture is subtle. It feels as though we are looking back at the distant city which we have left behind to come to this peaceful place. It feels like an isolated, private spot, hidden amongst the rocks and with only the sound of the waves for company, but we never quite leave the city behind – the litter is there to remind us of evidence of our existence. Compare this work to Blue and White Float by Robert Blyth. Do you know of a place like this that feels private to you? How would you depict this place to show such a private mood? | |
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