Thomas Rose Miles [1844-1916]

Thomas Rose Miles was a British artist predominantly known for his energetic marine scenes.

Trawlers precariously heeling battered by rolling waves, lifeboats struggling atop treacherous breakers, crews lost and stricken, ejected from schooners. Thomas Rose Miles was obsessed with seaborne drama, each theatrical scene conjured from his active mind. Described as “probably the best nineteenth-century marine artist at painting this subject”, his legacy is a triumphant one.

Born in landlocked Birmingham, it’s unclear when his fascination for seafaring began. Perhaps, like many boys of his generation, he gained an interest through fiction, captivated by the tales of Moby Dick and other equally gripping adventures. Storms were his raison d’etre - wild conditions that could tear a sail to shreds. Masses of water towering over hapless fishermen as glowering clouds dip low on their approach.

He was apparently self-taught, although undertook various study trips including to the Netherlands. The Dutch have a rich heritage of maritime painting and undoubtedly inspired him. He painted views across the British Isles - from the Isle of Wight to Galway Bay and from Cornwall to Guernsey. It’s not known whether he visited every location as the coastlines are usually in miniature. But in each rendering of a hostile sea, he captured its devastation with equal aplomb.

Here, in this piece from around 1870, five desperate fishermen cling to a weathered vessel following an almighty storm. Its oars are redundant amid turbulent conditions. Further on, the main sail of a stranded boat has been wrecked by gusts - its crew thrown overboard. A glimmer of hope arrives in the form of daybreak.

daybreak after the snow

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EVENING AFTER THE STORM, ISLE OF ARRAN OIL PAINTING

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Lifeboat heading to the Rescue of a Schooner

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Return of the Lifeboat

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격정적인 파도 표현과 청록색 색상이 매우 인상적이다.