The Govan Ferry painted c 1831 by John Knox (1778-1845).
This beautiful landscape shows the inn and other buildings at Pointhouse on the north bank of the river, looking west. The small rowing boat that provided a passenger service between Pointhouse and Water Row in Govan can be seen close to the bank.
In the foreground cows are drinking from a pond while couples court at the riverbank in the evening sunlight. On the left is a cottage at the foot of Water Row, with the spire of Govan Old Parish Church behind. The incongruous sight of a small steamboat in this idyllic rural setting, and of the functional industrial architecture of the Govan Silk Works further down the river, indicates how times were changing on the outskirts of early Victorian Glasgow.
Reference: 3322
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Museums
Keywords:
courting couples, cows, ferries, Govan Ferry, Govan Old Parish Church, Govan Silk Works, inns, landscapes, oil paintings, River Clyde, rowing boats, sailing boats, steamboats, sunsets, taverns, trees, women