. John Pettie, , ; . has given of Wolsey: we haveseldom seen so striking or true an analysis of seem to read the history of a life, the summary of acareer, in that crafty face; we decipher the motives thathave ruled the man; and now across the lines and furrowsthat time has worn, come the agitation, confusion, andremorse of being found out at last. . Mr. Pettie has givenin this well-studied work the full gauge of his powers. Thefigure of Wolsey can never be forgotten. Touchstone and Audrey, painted in the sameyear, was exhibited at the Academy of 1870. Apretty Audrey s
. John Pettie, , ; . has given of Wolsey: we haveseldom seen so striking or true an analysis of seem to read the history of a life, the summary of acareer, in that crafty face; we decipher the motives thathave ruled the man; and now across the lines and furrowsthat time has worn, come the agitation, confusion, andremorse of being found out at last. . Mr. Pettie has givenin this well-studied work the full gauge of his powers. Thefigure of Wolsey can never be forgotten. Touchstone and Audrey, painted in the sameyear, was exhibited at the Academy of 1870. Apretty Audrey stands among her goats, whileTouchstone, planted firmly on his legs, leansforward, with hand stroking a smooth chin, to ask, And how, Audrey ? am I the man yet ? dothmy simple feature content you ? It is a capitalpiece of characterisation, painted with verve andspirit in a high key of rapturous colour. At the Academy in 1870 also appeared TheSally, in many respects one of Petties greatest THE SALLY(Size of original; Si x 50.). ASSOCIATE: 1866-1873 89 works. In colour, action, and intensity of purposehe rarely, if ever, surpassed it. The inmates of abesieged castle are creeping along a dark passage tomake a sortie from a low doorway at the end. Asingle officer stands motionless, finger to lips. Allthe other figures are stooping, and in their stealthyonward movement repeat boldly the same formand action, adding cumulative force to the dramaticeffect. The very simplicity of the motive was astroke of genius. All through the picture is arich glow of colour, low-toned and never and breastplate shine with a subdued gleamin the dim passage-way ; buff and vermilion jerkinstake a sombre harmony in the ominous would take pages and pages of a romantic novelto convey the tense excitement of the scene, thehushed solemnity, the dauntless courage of thoseslow-moving figures. But in a moment Pettiespicture flings you into the atmosphere of peril;you hold your breath, and
Size: 1229px × 2033px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherlondonaandcblack
