A true Victorian genre painting with the romantic image of a young fisher girl, with a fishing net slung over her shoulders against a background of the beach and the sea.
The artist William F. Hardy has a mixed up and untidy biography. It would seeem there were two artists with the same initials and surnames whose working lives overlapped. The first, of little interest to us, was an American artist, 1877-1933, who painted landscapes. The second William F. Hardy, 1854-1935, who is our artist, was an Englishman who specialized in Victorian genre paintings of mainly rural children pursueing romantised country activities. Many of his genre paintings were published as chromolithographs in late nineteenth century illustrated newspapers. We have seen paintings signed with his name followed with the initials R.B.A. What the initials relate to is unknown to us. He is not listed as a member of the British Academy.
The painting is in the substantial original gilt frame. Signed with the monogram WF followed by Hardy. Inscribed on verso "By the seashore" and signed again using the same device and "Copyright reserved."
390 x 290 mm. Image size.
Undated but c1885.