The Scottish Fisheries Museum and Maritime Art of Francis Patrick Martin
by Karen Phan
Nestled along a quaint coastal town along the East Neuk in Anstruther Harbor lies the Scottish Fisheries Museum. Opened since 1969, they have been dedicated to supporting the education and research of the fishing industry in Scotland. This historic institute houses a recognised collection from notably Scottish artists and figures that associate with the cultural impact of the sea and fishing communities. As it aims to responsibly illustrate the geography and stories through exhibiting the vessels of skill, customs, creativity, and resilience of the Scots people.
Historically, the town was originally founded as a fishing village. The name Anstruther deprives from Scottish Gaelic, sruth, meaning a stream or place of streams. Records document that the town has been a central port for fishery such as herring, salmon, and cod since the 1380 and long before.
Although the museum collects over an array of mediums, some notable pieces are from their oil painting collections. One can witness Evening, Anstruther (1935) by Francis Patrick Martin (1883-1966). The painter revels in the serene and calamity of the seaside through its soft town skylines and leaning boats. The lingering daylight and beginning overcast ambiently calls for shuteye after a long day at sea.
Martin, Francis Patrick, Evening, Anstruther, 1935, Oil on canvas. On loan from a private collection. Photo courtesy of Scottish Fisheries Museum.
Along with being a painter, Martin was a soldier and telegraphist. He served in the Boer War, leaving to join the GPO as a telegraphist and re-enlisted in the 5th Scottish Rifles. Militarily, he managed horses then handling signal communications. After the first world war, he studied at the Glasgow School of Art between 1919-1920 under David Forrester Wilson. Throughout his career, he moves from battlefields and towards maritime scenes.
Martin, Francis Patrick Landing Herring at Anstruther, 1967, Oil on canvas. Gift from Anstruther Town Council. Photo courtesy of Scottish Fisheries Museum.
Landing Herring at Anstruther (1967) depicts a packed composition submerged with bustling crowds, airborne seagulls, and docked boats. It can be noted how Martin captures the essence of advancing art movements occurring around him midst the rise to modernism and pop art. Although quite realistic, within background one can see a similarity between the masts and towering buildings. The middle ground acknowledges the constraining nature of being shoulder to shoulder. Here in the foreground, the presents human nature and normality within working days and activities. The domesticity and lightness work with the painterly looseness as it forms an impression taking nod towards pop formalities and commentary on industry norms. His parallelism captures an ode to the city and hustling culture that still exists on the harborside. Martin remarks on how one can is not too far from home as we can find bits and pieces wherever we go.
You can find “Cool, Calm and Collections”, their latest exhibition on view until the end of this week, November 6th, 2023. This exhibition featured Scottish artists from sculptures, watercolours, and oil. Thematically, it touches upon the sounding escape to community, home, rest, and recuperation. Additionally, they joined with St Andrews professors Dr Jeremy Howard and Joe Boyd to discuss in-depth their research of maritime art.
Located in Anstruther, Fife, the harbor museum provides a getaway from the crunching deadlines and chaos that may encapsulate our present moment. A snippet of the exhibition can be found on ArtUK.org here: https://artuk.org/discover/curations/cool-calm-and-collections-exhibition-at-scottish-fishing-museum-anstruther. Additionally, you can find more updates on events, exhibitions, and news on their Instagram @scotfishmuseum.
Bibliography
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