Accession Number
1955/1.114

Title
A Sunset in Ireland

Artist(s)
Sir Francis Seymour Haden

Object Creation Date
1863

Medium & Support
drypoint on paper

Dimensions
5 7/16 in. x 8 7/16 in. ( 13.8 cm x 21.4 cm )

Credit Line
Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker

Subject matter
Haden was a surgeon, and so had no artistic background or education. However, later in his life, he began to study the works of classic engravers, including Rembrandt and Durer. His vigorous study and talent helped to bring about the revival of etching in England, and resulted in the creation of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers. Haden tended to focus on scenes from nature, working directly onto the plate in front of his subjects.

Physical Description
A river starts at the bottom of the composition, taking up the foreground, and then winds back into the middle of the composition. A tree on the left bank of the river hangs down over the edge, its leaves almost touching the water. Reflections of the trees and banks can be seen along the edges of the river. In the background is a more heavily wooded area, and some birds can be seen in the sky. One bird is located in the middle of the sky, while a cluster of faintly depicted birds can be seen on the right. The edges of the composition mostly fade into simple hatching and line work, especially along the banks of the river in the bottom corners of the page, and where the trees meet the edges of the page on the left and right.

Primary Object Classification
Print

Primary Object Type
intaglio print

Collection Area
Western

Rights
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Keywords
fences (site elements)
natural landscapes
reflections (perceived properties)
rivers
sunset
trees