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This is a version by Richard Wright of his famous painting "The Fishery". The picture won a competion set on the 15 December 1762 in London’s Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce (or Society of Arts) “that a first and second Premium [prize] be offered for the best original Painting of a Sea Piece.”
The picture became a instant success and many engravings were made of the work.
It was proposed that the Society of Arts establish a commercial operation in which bulk quantities of fresh fish would be transported from English fishing ports and sold to London consumers at a fraction of current market rates. In the picture on the right hand side can be seen a Fish Machine being driven determinedly down to the shoreline where a fresh catch awaits transportation to London.
The original picture that won the competion is now in the Yale Centre for British Art, the version we have was probably painted a few years afterwards.
Horace Walpole had a version of this painting in his house in Strawbery Hill.
This information was kindly shared with us by Sarah Monks.
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