Waiting for the Ferry (c. 1878), by James Tissot. Oil on panel, 9 by 13¾ in. (22.5 by 32.5 cm), private collection. Text by Lucy Paquette. Formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee. Image source: WikiArt, where it is described as being in the public domain. [Click on the image to enlarge it.]

Gravesend was accessible by numerous river steamers which conveyed crowds of passengers during the day, as well as by trains on the Tilbury Railway and the North Kent Railway; a steam-ferry transported visitors from Tilbury over to Gravesend.

Tissot painted three versions of Waiting for the Ferry, one in 1874 (Speed Museum, Kentucky), and two around 1878, at the dock beside the Old Falcon Tavern, Gravesend; Kathleen Newton modeled for the figures in only the latter two versions. She wears the same triple-caped greatcoat that Tissot portrayed her wearing in numerous other paintings, including The Terrace of the Trafalgar Tavern, Greenwich, London.

Bibliography

Paquette, Lucy. "On Holiday with James Tissot and Kathleen Newton." Web. 15 July 2019.


Created 15 July 2019