Rowland Henry Hill was born in Halifax and studied at the Halifax and Bradford Schools of Art. He displayed his work in many regional exhibitions, and from 1897 he also exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy in London. His work was shown internationally at the Paris Salon and the Venetian Biennale.

Hill settled at the village of Hinderwell on the North Yorkshire coast, close to the fishing village of Staithes. He was a member of the Staithes Group of artists who gathered together to capture the everyday life of the fishermen and their families struggling to make a living. This art-colony, which was most active between 1894 and 1909, involved about 25 artists, including Laura Knight, Harold Knight, Joseph R Bagshawe and Robert Jobling.

The Group drew inspiration from the work of the French Impressionists, particularly Monet and Renoir, and painted in oil and watercolour en plein air (outdoors).

Provenance: Laing Art Gallery collection

Object description
Type: Easel Painting
Location: South Shields Museum, Tyne & Wear
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: Rowland Henry Hill (1873-1952)
Date: 1920

Image Details
Date: 4 May 2026
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Telephoto Camera 52mm ƒ/2.4
Focal Length: 52mm
Aperture: ƒ/2.4
Shutter Speed: 1/50s
ISO: 320
Licensing: Image of a North East Museums asset. This image cannot be licensed.