JACK BUTLER YEATS, R.H.A. (1871-1957)

In the present work, a man has rowed to reach an exotic island. His boat is rocking on the water in the distance as he approaches the land on foot, his hat is held in his hand in a form of greeting. The themes of exploration and travel were important to Yeats, and he was fascinated by sailing and by seacraft, particularly detailing the appearance of the boats and the waves in his early work. In his later works, he often depicts a lone traveller who has reached a fertile and far-flung island, from a calm, deep blue ocean. These paintings have more of a fantasy element to them as they address the themes of arrival and departure, but also the theme of acceptance, as a newcomer is taken in by a promised land of hope and rejuvenation.