William McTaggart, R.S.A., R.S.W.

The artist's family;
J. W. Blyth Esq.;
Private Collection

J. L. Caw, William McTaggart R.S.A., 1917, p. 232

There is a fairly heavy wax relining. Some light scattered craquelure, particulalrly to the sky area and some light discolouration to the varnish. Held in a decorative gold composite frame.
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The current work is a smaller version of Adrift, an important work which William McTaggart exhibited at the R.A. in 1870 and at the R.S.A. in 1871. The subject and effect of both paintings is described by James Caw as "one of grey and windy weather, and, impelled by a sudden squall, a party of three boys and a girl, accompanied by a terrier, are being drifted on a raft, on which they have been playing, out to sea. Although there is probably no real danger, the children are alarmed, especially the boys, who tug at the rude oars in the attempt to win back to land. But their plight has been noticed, as is evident from the action of the figures on the not very-far off quay, and one feels that the adventure will soon be one to laugh over and perhaps to boast about." (J. L. Caw, William McTaggart R.S.A., p. 52) Caw further comments on the quality of the work, stating that the "groups of children are charmingly realised and the faces, happy and dolorous, are beautiful in type and expression." (Ibid, Caw)

William McTaggart is widely regarded as Scotland's greatest landscape painter, achieving great acclaim and success in his lifetime for the development of his very unique and personal form of Impressionism. The 1870s and 80s marked a period of transition for McTaggart where both his subject matter and style changed significantly. The artist moved away from the close-up views of children, such as Spring painted in 1864 and Dora painted in 1868, which displayed an obvious Pre-Raphaelite influence, instead choosing the sea, fishing boats and fisher-folk as a primary source of subject. A noticeable change from the tightly rendered compositions to a freer and more impressionist style of painting is clearly evident. Adrift includes elements of all these important adjustments McTaggart made during this period.