TISSOT, James (1836 – 1902)

On the Thames or How Happy I could be with Either, 1876

Oil on canvas

Purchased in 1938

Tissot’s ‘On the Thames’ is one the best paintings in Wakefield Art Gallery’s collection. It is also one of the most famous images of Victorian times ever made, and has been shown around the world.

It has been chosen as ‘Object of the Month’ to mark its return to Wakefield after a year of touring the USA.

Tissot was born in France but came to live in England in 1871. He was a  friend of the artist Whistler, and stayed in close contact with French artists such as Degas. Tissot liked to paint the rich and famous, and quickly became well known on the London art scene for his paintings.

Around 1875 Tissot met Kathleen Newton. She appears in many of Tissot’s works and it is clear that he was in love with her. When she died in 1882 the artist was heart broken and returned to Paris.

The man in Wakefield’s painting is probably Tissot himself, with Mrs. Newton and her sister. Tissot is sitting very close to Mrs Newton and she is gazing at him. This tells us that they have very strong feelings for each other.

Many think that this is one of Tissot’s best paintings. But when the painting was on show at the Royal Academy in 1876, many newspapers said the painting was ‘vulgar and low-bred’. After this Tissot never showed at the Royal Academy again.

By clicking on the link to the right you get a local contrast to the painting of the Thames. This black and white engraving of a drawing of the River Calder, from Thornes Wharf by Henry Clarke shows a relatively calm scene in a traditionally busy river basin. Today this area forms the heart of the new Wakefield Waterfront redevelopment scheme, which will include the Hepworth Gallery, future home of the Tissot painting.