Artwork Page for The Fleet Off the Coast, Beachy Head

Details / Information for The Fleet Off the Coast, Beachy Head

The Fleet Off the Coast, Beachy Head

c. 1790–1805
(British, 1760–1810)
Measurements
Sheet: 34.4 x 48.4 cm (13 9/16 x 19 1/16 in.)
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
?

Did You Know?

Beachy Head, the site depicted in this drawing, worked its way into popular culture and literature around the time that Samuel Atkins made the work, including a song of the Royal Navy and a poem by Charlotte Turner Smith, a contemporary of the artist.

Description

This watercolor depicts the breathtaking headlands of Beachy Head, the highest, most dramatic chalk sea cliffs in the United Kingdom. A marine painter active during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, Samuel Atkins patriotically associated Britain’s identity with its coastal geography and famous navy. A fleet of sailing vessels is seen in the distance in full sail, suggesting a rare moment of the entire fleet’s departure.
Within a lined gray border, a horizontally oriented watercolor and graphite drawing depicts towering white cliffs layered with washes of cream and gray. Jagged white tiers recede from our left toward a distant horizon. Below, a tan beach holds several small figures and rowboats. To our right, dark blue water contains more boats, while a fleet of masted ships lines the horizon under a hazy, pale blue sky.

The Fleet Off the Coast, Beachy Head

c. 1790–1805

Samuel Atkins

(British, 1760–1810)
England, 18th century

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork