Composition

It is possible that there was originally a boat in the surf at left, above and to left of the figures, where there are several unexplained diagonal brushstrokes underlying the frothy surf.

Technique

The Shore, Pourville, Ashmolean Museum

As in all the paintings of Pourville, the colours are subdued, with dark brown figures on a dark beach. However, the rich shades of sea-green, warm greys and deep turquoise makes this probably the most attractive of the series. The panel may have had a light grey undercoat but if so it was very thin, and the red wood of the panel glows through the long brushstrokes of thin paint. 1

Conservation History

The line of the horizon is uneven, and it is not clear if there is a slightly blurred ship on the horizon at right, and some areas over painted or repaired at upper right. Likewise in the foreground, to right of centre, there are rough patches that may be the result of alterations or repairs. There are slight vertical abrasion at both sides.

Frame

Labels on the verso read 'Mr Flower', '133 New Bond Street', '1553 / J. M. Whistler', and a chalk date, 'Dec 17 04'. Wickham Flower (1835-1904) bought two paintings exhibited by Whistler at Dowdeswell's, 133 New Bond Street in 1884: An Orange Note: Sweet Shop [YMSM 264] and Note in Blue and Opal: The Sun Cloud [YMSM 271]. Both were sold at auction at Christie's on 17 December 1904 (lot 39 and 40) and bought by Colnaghi's. It would appear that the labels or the frame were switched from one of these oils to the later panel, The Shore, Pourville [YMSM 521], presumably by Colnaghi's.