Waiting for the Ferry 2 by James Tissot

Continuing the tradition of Victorian maritime scenes, this medium-shot composition immortalizes the rest of an elegant lady by the river. Entitled “Waiting for the Ferry 2”, this remarkably delicate canvas designed by James Tissot presents a young woman seated on the wooden terrace of a sailors’ tavern. The painter plays on depth of field to combine the figure with the surrounding harbor landscape.

The model, dressed in a beige winter coat with a ruffle collar and wearing a dark hat, sits facing the viewer on a turned wood chair. To her right, a man in a brown jacket leaning on a table appears lost in thought. At the bottom of the painting lies a brightly folded red tartan plaid on the wooden dock floor. In the background, the stilted facade of the inn extends over the river’s gray water bordered by timber structures and piers. Cold seasonal light illuminates the scene clearly. A muted atmosphere bathes the scene.

James Tissot demonstrates brilliant craftsmanship in rendering the plaid tartan pattern and the structure of wooden pilings. His refined oil painting technique gives this work an atmosphere of serenity and perfect documentary truth.