Brave Fine Art has dated this piece to the 19th Century.
On bended knee, a young fisherman attaches bait to a homespun rod. A girl looks on curiously while holding a wooden hoop. Two trees seem entwined on the edge of a river, one blushing candidly with an ethereal glow.
The abundant joy in a basic task illuminated with the incandescence of Summer. True love blossoms on the dusty trails of Scarborough. It’s a budding romance - a personal Utopia.

Tennant’s heart sang under nature’s spell. Portraying this mistress in her most evocative moods. Where others sought to whisper, he clambered to the rooftops, only too eager to celebrate her allure. And here, via the medium of a simple flirtation, he’s contextualised a view with the brush of a poet.

Signed/dated lower left and held within a gilt frame.
Another of Tennant's works from 1841, also depicting Scarborough, is in The Royal Collection.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 38½” x 27½” / 98cm x 70cm

Year of creation: 1841
Condition: Artwork presents well. Fine craquelure but the paint is stable. Frame with some light wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £27,848
John Frederick Tennant trained under Scottish marine painter William Anderson. He exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Society of British Artists, British Institution and New Watercolour Society. His works are held in numerous public collections including the Royal Collection, the Government Art Collection and the museums/galleries of Manchester, Nottingham, Wolverhampton and Blackburn.
Learn more about John Frederick Tennant in our directory.
Brave Fine Art has dated this piece to the 19th Century.
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