Myles Birket Foster RWS (1825–1899)

Watercolour heightened with white, 14 x 21.5 cm (51/2 x 81/4 in), Signed with monogram.

Birket Foster was always on the lookout for architectural details to add interest to the picturesque, even in his portrayal of river scenes. The Rhine was an apt subject for the artist’s talent as the windings of the river enabled him to portray receding vistas. Here the eye is led past the activity on the riverbank and the boats in the centre of the composition to the light on the water in the distance, as the Rhine winds away to the left. In this watercolour there is the added attraction of the Rhine steamers, from one of which a plume of smoke disperses.