John Dawson Watson - 1871 Watercolour The Catch of the Day

A charming 1871 watercolour depicting a fishing family at the coast, with a baby at the centre of the composition perched atop a bundle of golden nets as the parents carry the child down to the beach. The bearded fisherman strides ahead while the young woman supports the other end of the load, her gaze turning back towards the little one. A warm and gently humorous scene of everyday seaside life, rendered in soft naturalistic tones, characteristic of the Victorian genre tradition's affection for sentimental rural and coastal subjects. Signed with initials and dated. On paper laid to card.