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Lot Essay
Born in 1864 in New South Wales, Australia, Hornel's parents moved to Scotland and in 1866 settled in Kirkcudbright. After three rather unsuccessful years at the Trustees Academy, he travelled to Antwerp to study and on his return in 1885 he met George Henry, who introduced him to Sir James Guthrie (1859-1930) and his circle. Hornel's art quickly developed and he became interested in rich colour and dense patterns, with flattened perspectives and little recession, emphasing the decorative pattern of the picture.
In 1893 Hornel and Henry set off for Japan, financed by the Glasgow dealer Alex Reid and William Burrell, a patron of the arts. Hornel produced some of his finest pictures at this time, successfully balancing decorative pattern with figurative drawing and composition. He subsequently travelled to Ceylon in 1907 and Burma in 1918, before returning to paint the Galloway woods around his home of Kirkcudbright. Hornel gradually moved away from naturalistic subjects, which continued to inspire other members of the Glasgow Boys, towards symbolic and allegorical subjects such as the seasons, Celtic myths and stories involving wood spirits and rural genies. Hornel became fascinated by these stories and particularly those relating to the goat. It is a recurring theme in his work and, as in the present work, often appears accompanied by a young keeper, as a symbol of fertility (cf R. Bilcliffe The Glasgow Boys, London, 1985, pl. 209).
The present work is dated 1896 and was painted after Hornel and Henry's return from Japan, the bright colours and composition show the influence of his recent trip (cf., op.cit., pl. 227.).
In 1893 Hornel and Henry set off for Japan, financed by the Glasgow dealer Alex Reid and William Burrell, a patron of the arts. Hornel produced some of his finest pictures at this time, successfully balancing decorative pattern with figurative drawing and composition. He subsequently travelled to Ceylon in 1907 and Burma in 1918, before returning to paint the Galloway woods around his home of Kirkcudbright. Hornel gradually moved away from naturalistic subjects, which continued to inspire other members of the Glasgow Boys, towards symbolic and allegorical subjects such as the seasons, Celtic myths and stories involving wood spirits and rural genies. Hornel became fascinated by these stories and particularly those relating to the goat. It is a recurring theme in his work and, as in the present work, often appears accompanied by a young keeper, as a symbol of fertility (cf R. Bilcliffe The Glasgow Boys, London, 1985, pl. 209).
The present work is dated 1896 and was painted after Hornel and Henry's return from Japan, the bright colours and composition show the influence of his recent trip (cf., op.cit., pl. 227.).