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Lot Essay
With little doubt, the present two works (lots 23 & 24) are produced by one of the most prolific British landscape artists at his very best: they illustrate an exceptional mastery of light, an understanding of the subtleties of the changing times of day, an appreciation of nature, and a formidable ability to combine detail and scale with a compatibility that many artists would find challenging.
A Welsh stream in summertime captures a moment that Benjamin Williams Leader would probably have witnessed on many occasions, whilst rambling through the depths of the Welsh countryside - where so many of his works are indebted. A young boy and his dog stand at the water’s edge, his mother sitting watchfully behind, while a little girl and toddler can be seen in the clearing beyond, perhaps playing a game, or having discovered something of interest. Silver birch frame the river, while that great symbol of the British Isles, the oak, paternally watches over the family. A track leads from the lower edge of the canvas towards the group, seemingly inviting the viewer to enjoy the summer’s day in their company.
As the river glistens with light, the central point is disrupted by shallows that make the water froth and ripple, until it re-joins the tranquility of the pool beyond. The sky above provides a light backdrop, which contrasts a rich menagerie of greens: from the deep olives of the foreground, the clover and mint greens beyond, to the light on the moss covering the oak, lit up by the sun, creating a green reminiscent of a candle shimmering through an empty bottle of wine.
Executed in 1883 (the year that Leader was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy) and of a different mood, but with similar tranquility, Parting Day captures a summer’s day in its finality, the night drawing in, cushioned by a sublime afterglow of the sun: a spectrum of pink, gold and violet flows across the sky mirrored by the slow currents of the river below.
An old lady, possibly the farmer’s mother, herds geese across the embankment to the nocturnal safety of their enclosure, while two figures – perhaps the farmer and his wife – stand outside the gate, a faithful collie patiently lying at their feet. Near the viewer, a boat, likely to have been used for netting and catching fish during the day, is moored – the fisherman and his family at home around a table enjoying the day’s catch.
The silhouette of a Norman church overlooks the scene and completes an idyllic vision of pastoral life: a vision that would have provided a nostalgic contrast to the post-Industrial Revolution audience of the day. Indeed, it is likely that both paintings elicited a response that would have little or no dissimilarity to that of any observer in this present day – conjuring the ideals of a life where simplicity, a closeness to nature, family and the most important attributes to happiness are plentiful.
Please note that three works from the same collection will be included in the forthcoming sale of Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite & British Impressionist Art on 14 December 2016 at our King Street saleroom.
A Welsh stream in summertime captures a moment that Benjamin Williams Leader would probably have witnessed on many occasions, whilst rambling through the depths of the Welsh countryside - where so many of his works are indebted. A young boy and his dog stand at the water’s edge, his mother sitting watchfully behind, while a little girl and toddler can be seen in the clearing beyond, perhaps playing a game, or having discovered something of interest. Silver birch frame the river, while that great symbol of the British Isles, the oak, paternally watches over the family. A track leads from the lower edge of the canvas towards the group, seemingly inviting the viewer to enjoy the summer’s day in their company.
As the river glistens with light, the central point is disrupted by shallows that make the water froth and ripple, until it re-joins the tranquility of the pool beyond. The sky above provides a light backdrop, which contrasts a rich menagerie of greens: from the deep olives of the foreground, the clover and mint greens beyond, to the light on the moss covering the oak, lit up by the sun, creating a green reminiscent of a candle shimmering through an empty bottle of wine.
Executed in 1883 (the year that Leader was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy) and of a different mood, but with similar tranquility, Parting Day captures a summer’s day in its finality, the night drawing in, cushioned by a sublime afterglow of the sun: a spectrum of pink, gold and violet flows across the sky mirrored by the slow currents of the river below.
An old lady, possibly the farmer’s mother, herds geese across the embankment to the nocturnal safety of their enclosure, while two figures – perhaps the farmer and his wife – stand outside the gate, a faithful collie patiently lying at their feet. Near the viewer, a boat, likely to have been used for netting and catching fish during the day, is moored – the fisherman and his family at home around a table enjoying the day’s catch.
The silhouette of a Norman church overlooks the scene and completes an idyllic vision of pastoral life: a vision that would have provided a nostalgic contrast to the post-Industrial Revolution audience of the day. Indeed, it is likely that both paintings elicited a response that would have little or no dissimilarity to that of any observer in this present day – conjuring the ideals of a life where simplicity, a closeness to nature, family and the most important attributes to happiness are plentiful.
Please note that three works from the same collection will be included in the forthcoming sale of Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite & British Impressionist Art on 14 December 2016 at our King Street saleroom.