Yale Center for British Art

Richard McCoy
Albertus Magnus College

Yale Center for British Art
Trip Date: 4/06/2007
Focus: The Wave
by C.R.W. Nevinson

On 4/6/2007 I made my trip to the Yale Center for British Art. This time I was accompanied by my sister Stephanie. We enjoyed our trip to New Haven and the museum. When first arriving we went to the front desk to check our belongings and hang up our coats on a nearby coat rack. When checking in with the attendant at the front desk I found that only 2 of the 4 floors were available due to renovations and new additions. I have to say, this museum was very nice and it was a nice experience to visit, but I am not much for portraits and there were a lot of portraits. However, I did find a lot of paintings of landscapes and of a few portraits that did catch my eye. Let's begin shall we?


This photo of a beach in Burton Bradstock was breath taking. It was calm, soothing and enjoyable to view. Looking closely there are no signs of life at all. No birds, no people in sight. It appears to be a hidden area that the photographer, Jem Southan, found himself and kept his best kept secret.



This painting entitled Evening Glow by John Atkinson Grimshaw was one of my favorites at the museum. This painting (oil on canvas) showed a roadway covered in autumn leaves. The surrounding trees were bare due to the changing season. The surrounding walls were house stone gates that barricaded the road. I loved this painting because it was so real. You can see in the faint distance more trees and the road's never ending length. My sister provided her own opinion on this piece and mentioned that it reminded her of a scene from the movie the Exorcist. I flash backed for a second and clearly remember the scene at the end of the movie with a house right on the edge of a lengthy road. Although I found the scene from the movie and piece similar in looks I found that this painting gave me a different feeling than that horror movie. This picture shows an established town, a road of many tales and another season that has gone by.

This painting by Joseph Wright, Cottage on Fire at Night, provided a darker look into landscape art. The painting created some time between 1785 and 1793, has such a luminous glow. As mentioned in the picture's description, the fire is the main part of the painting. It is what provides the texture to everything surrounding the cottage and forest. I feel that the fire made the forest still and places it into a trance. The moon seems to be a watch guard as the fire continues to burn throughout the night. The red glow over the entire painting is amazing.



My favorite picture of the day was C.R.W. Nevinson's The Wave. This picture was very simple. What I mean by that is it didn't seem to use too many colors throughout the painting. I liked this picture because it reminded me of the ocean, growing up on the East Coast of the US and having the privilege of being able to see the ocean whenever I want. Although the wave in the painting appears to be crashing down this piece symbolizes tranquility and has a refreshing appeal to it. Another thought that bounced into my head when I first laid eyes on it was the song by REM called Night Swimming. Since the painting appears to be set during nightfall, I found that this song held great significance to the painting. I evened listened to the song when I got home while looking at the painting for inspiration.

My trip to Yale New Haven’s British Art Museum was a fun experience. I enjoyed the small tour I took around and would visit again when more pieces come in. After our visit my sister and I toured the gift shop and I purchased a post card of The Wave. I then headed down the street to Star bucks, to again, fix my chocolate urge. Until next time.

(Geez, I need to shave. =D )

-Rich