Fish Quay – Shetland

The Scottish Isles are well-known for fishing, having survived on and built their industry on the richness of the North Sea grounds for millennia.

In the past, herring were a mainstay of the industry with women following the fish as they moved up and down the coast of Britain. These days the fishing industry is made up of large pelagic boats that catch the majority of the fish landed in the islands but there are also others that bring in crab, lobster, scallops and whitefish.

In this oil painting – shown above and now in the collection at the studio in Greymouth – British artist, Felix Partridge, has captured the bustle of the fish quay as the herring were landed. From the clothes that the figures in the painting are wearing, and from the boats, it appears that this picture depicts the early 20th Century when the fishing was still done by smaller craft and handled by women but any information anyone has about it to confirm or propose that date would be very welcome. The painting was bought at auction in New Zealand recently.

There is little information about Felix Partridge’s work online. Again, any information would be very gratefully received.