What a good picture this is. 'The Mornings Catch,' by James Clark Hook, 1877.
This tells us much about the rough lives out forefathers lived. Not just the danger of all night fishing in rough seas, often quite far out to sea, but also the hard work left for the women in the morning. The fish has to be sorted, taken by creel to where customers lay in wait, and hopefully a good deal done, possibly door to door. This on top of whatever house they possessed, possibly rented, stone or hard dirt floor, outside toilet, no running water, several children at that time being sent to school, and normal daily routine had to be followed.
There was of course no pension, no welfare state, and people worked until they dropped, unless they, or a relative got lucky and made a fortune. Fortunes in the 19th century could of course be made and lost within a generation. Limited medicine, no painkillers bar chloroform, smoking, poor diet, though the fisherfolk and farmers could manage reasonably well, and most dead by their 50s.
James Clark Hook 1819 - 1907, became quite famous for his sea pictures. He painted so many they were known as 'Hookscapes.'
I must admit I like sea pictures and this one, the view, the colours and the reflection of life in late Victorian Cornwall (at least many were painted there) appears true to life. Painting however, does not indicate the smell of the fish! In this way we are lucky.
