Boat, Figures and Sea

Myles Birket Foster was an English painter, illustrator and collector. He first worked as an illustrator and from 1858 he sought to establish himself as a watercolour painter. His watercolours proved to be more popular and were appreciated for their Pre-Raphaelite detail, but without the harshness of colour and unusual composition. His watercolour technique, with its reliance on stippling rather than broad washes, reflects his experience of designing for wood engraving.

Foster’s illustrative watercolour style brought him great success with a Victorian middle class public seeking rustic charm and nostalgia for the simple way of life. The harsh realities of rural or coastal occupations were not his concern.