Herring
‘Codfish and Herrings’ Frederick William Elwell, 1887. (Beverley Art Gallery Collection)
With thanks to Beverley Art Gallery
Still Life Silver Darlings
Frederick William Elwell’s 1887 painting, Codfish & Herrings, is a masterful example of still life, created by the young artist at just seventeen. It was gifted to Beverley Art Gallery—established in 1910—in 1921. Beverley holds the largest collection of works by the prolific and renowned East Riding artist, and this piece offers an exceptional insight into his formative years.
The high level of detail and realistic rendering, characteristic of late Victorian still life painting, have been meticulously executed. A careful balance is achieved in the composition, a large codfish on the left, is curved around a dark bucket towards the centre, its eye facing the viewer. On the right, a smaller, vividly red lobster is also positioned towards the centre, a green glass bottle with a worn label behind it. Mussels and seaweed are seemingly scattered across and over the edge of the pale surface.
Three smoked herrings, strung up against blue and white Delft tiles, provide warm orange and brown tones, contrasting against the bright tiles. Herring, a staple on local tables and subject to a fishing boom in the late 19th century, were affectionately known as ‘silver darlings’. Here, the herrings in the background add a sense of everyday busyness to what is, in fact, a carefully composed scene. Light has been skilfully managed, emphasising the different textures, while deep shadows create high contrast between surfaces and sea creatures, guiding the viewer’s eye through the scene.
The painting was met with acclaim and marked a great success for the young Fred Elwell, winning the Queen’s Bronze Medal—a national award for excellence during the Victorian era. Elwell was in his first year at Lincoln School of Art, having secured a three-year scholarship. He later recalled this time at Lincoln with a cheeky comment that the place ‘fairly stank of dead cod’. From Lincoln, he went on to study at the Royal Academy in Antwerp, where he earned a silver medal for painting, followed by the Académie Julien in Paris, where he exhibited at the renowned Paris Salon. During his time in Paris, Elwell tweaked the inscribed date on the painting to make it appear more recent, presumably to enhance its commercial appeal and make a sale.
Elwell went on to forge a distinguished career as a commercial artist, establishing a considerable reputation, leading to commissions including a portrait of King George V, and election to the Royal Academy. An anecdote from 1953, however, highlights his modesty and good humour—while discussing his work with a journalist, it was suggested that one of his earlier paintings might be his finest. To this, Elwell responded that he had been “steadily going backwards for over sixty years.”
Codfish & Herrings endures as a testament to Fred Elwell’s technical skill, and his talent for elevating humble, everyday objects, or in this case, fish, into compelling works of art.
Artist: Hannah Willetts
Fish Profile
Atlantic Herring - Clupea harengus
Conservation Status
Herring is a member of a larger group of about 200 species. The most common are Atlantic, Pacific and Araucanian Herring. Of these the Atlantic Herring, found in the seas around Europe and North America, is the most abundant species
Herring sustainability varies a good deal. The IUCN status is of Least Concern. The MCS identify 4 Best Choice, 1 Needs Improvement and 7 Avoid sustainability ratings based on location, stock size, management, and capture method. For example, Herring in the Celtic and Irish Seas and southwest of Ireland (with an Avoid sustainability rating) have fallen below safe biological levels and have no recovery management measures in place. The MCS Best Choices rating for herring are for those caught in the North Sea and the North Irish Sea. There are ongoing concerns for the management of fishing in the Northeast Atlantic