- Trawlers Coaling, Boulogne, n.d. Walter Elmer Schofield, (1867 – 1944), oil on canvas, H. 30 x W. 36, Collection of the Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22.
Artists from all periods of history tend to paint things they love, or things they can look at in their daily lives. Since Walter Elmer Schofield visited his family along the coast of England many times in his life, he painted the sea often.
Schofield was also known as a landscape painter. Although Schofield specialized in snow scenes, painted in Bucks County and other areas in the Delaware River Valley, he also created marine landscapes frequently painted in Cornwall, England. Schofield usually painted outdoors, en plein air. He was a strapping outdoorsman who stood 6′4″ and loved even the bitterest winter weather.
Do you know the type of boat featured in this work? Most of the boats you see here are called trawlers (thus the title of the painting, Trawler’s Coaling, Boulogne). A trawler is a fishing boat that is used for fishing with a net called a trawl or seine. These nets hang vertically in the water with floats on top and weights on the bottom. The ends of the net are drawn together to encircle the fish. The trawler tows the net behind the boat, usually along the lake bottom moving in a very slow and straight pattern. Trawlers usually fish in the same area over a long period of time. A trawler can catch a lot of fish at one time, although the fishermen aren’t able to control what type of fish they catch in their nets.
Today, many commercial fisherman fish with nets. Trawls are still used, but there are also many other types of nets. There are many regulations worldwide for the use of fishing nets. These regulations exist primarily to protect the world’s fish and undersea population. The laws have reduced the capture of sea turtles and other non-edible species such as dolphins, sharks, big fish, and whales. Each net works in a different way and enables fisherman to capture different types of fish.
Visit the Bucks County Artists’ Database for more information on Walter E. Schofield.
3 Comments
How long is the Walter E. Schofield exhibit going to be at the museum? Also, I see the Elvis exhibit is coming in February. Do you have the date that will be there?
Thanks.
Hi Marilyn,
Unfortunately, the Walter E. Schofield exhibition is no longer happening here, so the information you might have is outdated. The exhibition for Elvis will be up from February through mid May, 2011. Please stay tuned on our website for more details.
Thank you!
Great site. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to some friends!