Low Tide, the Evening Star, and Rye's Long Pier Deserted 1888

Frank Short made this etching called 'Low Tide, the Evening Star, and Rye's Long Pier Deserted', sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. It shows a lone figure on a pier, with ships in the distance, and hints at an industrial landscape. As a popular subject for artists during this time, it's worth thinking about what the image of a deserted pier might have meant to Short and his audience. Britain was a leading industrial and maritime power, and its economic strength was visible in the busy ports. We can consider how the landscape of ‘Low Tide’ relates to Britain’s Imperial ambitions. Etchings like this were affordable and accessible to a wide audience. By looking at periodicals, letters, and other documents, we can better understand how Short's contemporaries interpreted images of the British landscape. Art is never made in a vacuum, so by understanding the institutions and social forces at play, we can come to a deeper appreciation of its historical meaning.