This month we feature a lithograph by Cornelius Varley (1781 - 1873) entitled ‘A Fishing Boat on the Beach’. Behind this picture lies a fascinating story of a man who incorporated science into his art throughout his life.

About the picture

This monochrome lithograph on paper features a small boat resting on the mud at low tide, a boy in it possibly mending a net, in preparation for the next rising tide when the boat can set off on another fishing trip. A figure sits in the window of a waterside building, possibly acting as some kind of lookout. The lithograph, published in 1809, although beautifully designed and somewhat romanticised, depicts the hard working conditions of people in the fishing trade.

This lithograph is one of a series of prints comprising five etchings and three lithographs issued in a wrapper with the title Etchings / of / Shipping, Barges, Fishing Boats, and other Vessels, / commonly met with on the British Coasts, Rivers and Canals., The whole will be drawn from Nature, / and etch'd by / Cornelius Varley. It is thought that the lithographs may not have been part of the original series, which was planned to contain etchings. This series of pictures would have been sold ‘by subscription’ which means that it is likely that an advertisement would have appeared in newspapers inviting people to buy the series as a whole.

At the bottom of the print is the inscription, ”C Varley Del”. "Del" is an abbreviation of “Delineavit”, which is a Latin for “he drew it”. This means that Cornelius Varley drew the picture which was then etched, in this case by him. Often an artwork was drawn or painted by an artist and then reproduced by an engraver who would be a different person.

The print also has the inscription, “London Published by J and C Varley Nov 8th 1809”. J Varley was Cornelius’s brother John, who was also an artist.

About the Artist

Cornelius Varley was born in Hackney in 1871, then a village north of London. His father died when Cornelius was aged 10 and his father’s brother, a keen scientist, took him under his wing. According to Varley’s own words (see below) his uncle was a watchmaker who trained male and female pupils in watchmaking. Cornelius’s knowledge of watchmaking and an interest in science grew under his uncle’s tutelage. In his autobiographical note, Cornelius states, “With him I began to see the wonder of science – air pumps, electrifying machines, telescopes, microscopes and camera obscura.” He went on to make microscopes and lenses.

Around 1800, he joined his brother John in a tour through Wales, and began the study of art. He began to teach drawing. Between 1803 and 1859 his works were included twenty times in the Summer exhibitions of the Royal Academy. He was also one of the founders of the Water-Colour Society.

Below is an extract from Varley's own hand-written autobiographical notes, detailing his early life and the beginnings of his interest in science:

In 1845, Varley published A Treatise on Optical Drawing Instruments. Click here to read the book online.

Varley was a polymath, competent in both art and science, who used science to inform his art and his creativity to inform his science.

Acknowledgements:

Curator’s note British Museum, Reference: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1876-0708-2590

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Essay on 19th centry lithography: https://www3.metmuseum.org/

A treatise on optical drawing instruments ... also, a method of preserving pictures in oil and in water colours / [Cornelius Varley]. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain Mark.

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