Waiting for the Skipper

Edwin Bale (1838-1923) seems to have tried to depict poorer children more realistically than some of his contemporaries did. In this case the boy's working clothes are only picturesque in the sense that their textures and colours make a convincing element in the composition of the painting. And while the boy may only be waiting for the skipper (master of the boat) in normal circumstances, the title and the stormy background acknowledge the uncertainties of life in fishing communities, where many families have waited in vain for the skipper and his crew to come home safely from a trip to sea