By the Canal
- Artist: Prunella Clough
- Date: 1976
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 1829 x 1422 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is "By the Canal" by Prunella Clough. Painted in 1976 with oil on canvas, it captures an industrial canal scene with a texture that feels almost gritty. Clough, born in London and trained at Chelsea School of Art, was known for finding her subjects in the urban landscape rather than sketching on the spot. She would study particular motifs, sometimes taking photographs, but she never translated them directly onto the canvas. Instead, she mixed materials like ash and sand into her paints, giving the work a rough, almost tactile quality. The painting blends abstract elements with recognizable architecture, showcasing the canals, industrial structures, and the surrounding townscape. It reflects Clough’s approach to urban scenes—observational, layered, and imbued with a sense of strength.
See it in person
By the Canal is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
