Forced to flee France in 1914 at the outbreak of war, Frances Hodgkins avoided London and retreated instead to St Ives, Cornwall, where she found support among fellow artists Moffat and Augusta (“Gussie”) Lindner. Hodgkins had first visited Cornwall in 1902, drawn by the established artists’ communities of Penzance and Newlyn. The coastal environment, reminiscent of Brittany, allowed artists to paint en plein air, capturing shifting light, red sailed fishing boats, and the rhythms of maritime life.

An early visit to St Ives in 1902 with Dorothy Kate Richmond left Hodgkins amused and sceptical of much local work, though she relished the eccentric studios hidden in lofts and boathouses. Returning in late 1914 amid a fierce winter, she took over a Porthmeor studio, adapting it for teaching and working in the clear Atlantic light. Despite initial isolation, she remained creatively driven, reflecting on the freedom and confidence she had found in France.

Painted in early 1915, Low Tide, St Ives, demonstrates Hodgkin’s mastery of watercolour, developed during her years in France. The sweeping harbour, dramatic cloud formations, and restrained use of untouched paper convey atmosphere and light with remarkable economy. Wet-on-wet passages evoke damp sand and air, while denser pigment defines buildings along Wharf Road. The distant Chapel of St Nicholas anchors the composition, affirming Hodgkins’ ability to transform observation into a powerful and enduring image.

MARY KISLER

Frances Hodgkins, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 19 Sep 1993 - 30 Jan 1994
Anthony Hordern’s Fine Art Gallery, Sydney, October 1918 (no. 33) as Low Tide, St Ives

Private Collection, Auckland
Purchased from International Art Centre, Important & Rare Art, Auckland, 16/11/2021, Lot No. 40
Private Collection, Auckland
Formerly Art Gallery of South Australia Adelaide [01614], Elder Bequest 1955