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Lot Essay
Alfred Dawson records that in 1864 his father discovered a new 'hunting ground..viz., Sutton Park, near Birmingham'; this picture, on a grander scale than earlier river scenes, testifies to the inspiration he derived there.
It is also more Pre-Raphaelite than any other picture in this group. By choosing to depict the pink and violet marbling of an evening sky, Dawson introduced a more idiosyncratic colour scheme whilst remaining true to nature. Dawson had corresponded with Ruskin in 1851, seeking his advice following the Royal Academy's mistreatment of his latest exhibits. Ruskin had initially responded, ever pleased to act as a mentor, but Dawson felt that the critic neglected his work in later years. However Ruskin's use of morally-resonant terms when discussing Dawson's art is evidence of his admiration. He deemed the sky in Clifton Grove(1851) 'noble' and later elaborated in the 1897 edition of Modern Painters: "...I think that among our rising artists there..[are] signs of rapidly increasing care in studies of skies. There is a very beautiful group of cirri in a picture by Mr. Dawson".
It is also more Pre-Raphaelite than any other picture in this group. By choosing to depict the pink and violet marbling of an evening sky, Dawson introduced a more idiosyncratic colour scheme whilst remaining true to nature. Dawson had corresponded with Ruskin in 1851, seeking his advice following the Royal Academy's mistreatment of his latest exhibits. Ruskin had initially responded, ever pleased to act as a mentor, but Dawson felt that the critic neglected his work in later years. However Ruskin's use of morally-resonant terms when discussing Dawson's art is evidence of his admiration. He deemed the sky in Clifton Grove(1851) 'noble' and later elaborated in the 1897 edition of Modern Painters: "...I think that among our rising artists there..[are] signs of rapidly increasing care in studies of skies. There is a very beautiful group of cirri in a picture by Mr. Dawson".