The life and paintings of Vicat Cole, RA. . II STUDY FOB STKEATLEY STREATLEY (2). HE second Streatley plate is taken from asmaller picture, painted in 1887, describedin the artists diary as Streatley, fromnear Cleeve Lock, afternoon, looking downriver. There is a depth and mystery about thispainting which render it most impressive even at firstglance. The whole landscape is in shadow, save forthe glimpse of sunlight on the meadow and cattleto the left, and on the grassy slope and bend of thestream in the middle-distance. Its light is derived fromthe brilliant cumuli in the sky and their gleams
The life and paintings of Vicat Cole, RA. . II STUDY FOB STKEATLEY STREATLEY (2). HE second Streatley plate is taken from asmaller picture, painted in 1887, describedin the artists diary as Streatley, fromnear Cleeve Lock, afternoon, looking downriver. There is a depth and mystery about thispainting which render it most impressive even at firstglance. The whole landscape is in shadow, save forthe glimpse of sunlight on the meadow and cattleto the left, and on the grassy slope and bend of thestream in the middle-distance. Its light is derived fromthe brilliant cumuli in the sky and their gleams reflectedin the water. The effect is one often seen on a rivers. VIC AT COLES LIFE AND WORKS. bank, but rarely on canvas; one which a fishermanwatches for, and welcomes with delight. Environedby hills, the stream seems barred in its course ; hencethe suggestive value of the touch of light where itturns to the right. Simple as the subject is, the effectchosen and the artists treatment of it render it verypowerful and captivating as a work of art. The skyis finely designed with a view always to its predominantinfluence on the landscape. Whilst the clouds on theleft overshadow the scene, those on the right areluminous to a marvellous degree. The painting is atour de force of chiaroscuro, but of this the artist wasthinking little as he worked on it. His thoughts werefixed on the beauty and feeling of Nature, and, inrepresenting these, he reaches the highest skill of Art,which is, to hide itself— ars est celare artem. From whatever point of view it is regarded, thepicture is one to be lingered over and studied, withever fresh perceptions of its charms
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidlifepainting, bookyear1898
