At the Sea Side (1880): Art, History and Details

At the Sea Side (1880) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is James Tissot (French, 1836–1902).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

This print is one of several works in which James Tissot represented his lover and frequent model, Kathleen Newton, near a window. Here, the young woman sits on an open sill, looking outward as if caught in a daydream. Although set in Tissot’s London home and featuring props from his studio, the image includes nautical details added by the artist to suggest a coastal location. The invented ship, lighthouse, and expansive sea visible outdoors convey a sense of longing for travel and freedom.

Object facts

• Title: At the Sea Side
• Date: 1880
• Creator attribution: James Tissot (French, 1836–1902)
• Culture: France, 19th century
• Type: Print
• Technique: etching and drypoint
• Dimensions: Image: 37.9 x 13.7 cm (14 15/16 x 5 3/8 in.); Sheet: 39.3 x 22.8 cm (15 1/2 x 9 in.)
• Collection: PR - Etching
• Department: Prints
• Accession number: 1974.258

A detail from the museum

The sitter of this print, Kathleen Newton, tragically died of consumption just two years after Tissot's portrait.

Collection credit

Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Prasse Collection

Further reading listed by the museum

• Lee, Sherman E. "The Year in Review for 1974." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 62, no. 3 (1975): 62-102.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.