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English tourists watch fishermen opening pearl oysters
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English tourists watch fishermen opening pearl oysters
English tourists watch Scottish fishermen opening pearl oysters on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Doctor Prosody fishing for pearls in the Isle of Sky. Handcoloured copperplate engraving drawn and engraved by William Read from William Combes The Tour of Doctor Prosody, in search of the Antique and the Picturesque, through Scotland, the Hebrides, the Orkney and Shetland Isles, Matthew Illy, London, 1821
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Media ID 23382156
© Florilegius
Accident Antique Basalt Choppy Companion Danger Doctor Fishermen Hebrides Inconvenience Isles Johnson Opening Orkney Overboard Oysters Parody Pearl Picaresque Pillars Prosody Proves Read Rocks Samuel Search Seas Shetland Staffa Timid Tourist Tourists Watch
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this hand-colored copperplate engraving, titled "Doctor Prosody fishing for pearls in the Isle of Skye, Scotland," we witness a scene of English tourists eagerly observing Scottish fishermen as they open pearl oysters. The engraving, drawn and engraved by William Read, is an illustration from William Combes' "The Tour of Doctor Prosody, in search of the Antique and the Picturesque, through Scotland, the Hebrides, the Orkney and Shetland Isles," published in London in 1821. The image portrays a group of tourists, including the Doctor Prosody, who is depicted with a staff and a timid companion, precariously balanced on the edge of a small boat. The choppy seas and the basalt pillars and rocks in the background suggest the danger and inconvenience that comes with the pursuit of pearls on the Isle of Skye. The Scottish fishermen, dressed in traditional attire, are shown expertly opening the pearl oysters, revealing their precious contents. The tourists, however, seem to be more interested in the spectacle than in the actual pearl diving. One tourist, perhaps overeager, even falls overboard, adding a touch of the picaresque and parody to the scene. The engraving is reminiscent of the caricatures and illustrations popular during the Romantic era, which often depicted travelers' experiences in a humorous and exaggerated way. The image captures the spirit of adventure and the allure of the exotic that drove tourists to travel to remote and picturesque locations, such as the Isle of Skye, in search of the antique and the picturesque. Overall, this illustration offers a glimpse into the past, providing a window into the world of early 19th-century tourism and the fascination with the Scottish Hebrides and the Orkney and Shetland Isles.
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