This charming mid-19th-century oil painting attributed to English artist William Traies (1789-1872) depicts a picturesque river view with cascade, figures and cattle. Traies was an accomplished landscape painter, well-admired for his numerous renderings of Devonshire idyls.
A gnarled tree stretches its sinuous branches as if yawning amid nature's melody. It’s perhaps early morning, an ideal environment for fishing. The shimmering river, punctuated by boulders, weaves beyond view as weary cattle take welcome refreshment in the shallows.
Traies’ mastery of light effects, coupled with his distinct skill for balanced compositions, evokes a sense of Arcadian reverence. Where travellers rest awhile under canopies of ancient oaks, while the sun, lazy in its final embers, sprawls its golden luminance across endless pasture. There’s no sign of industrialization amid the protection of nature’s soliditude.
Dubbed "The Claude Lorraine of Devonshire”, Traies’s story is one of connection and kinship rather than academic regimen. He was born in the sleepy historic town of Crediton, near Exeter, and commenced his working life at the local post office. Here, although naturally respectful of his duties as a clerk, he utilised every moment of free time to sketch among nature.
As a boy, he often adventured with his friend John Gendall, as both were budding artists, with ample inspiration on their doorstep. Devon is blessed with rolling uplands, craggy riverbanks, whispering brooks, and dense woodlands. Like his contemporary, John Constable (1776-1837), Traies was taught by the transient whims of nature herself.
His innate fascination for the environment led to early patronage in the form of Dr. Neal, a Scotch physician, for whom he produced a number of illustrations. Much to the young man’s surprise, Neal paid him handsomely for the work.
Evidently well-connected, he garnered further support via the Reverend Gayer Patch, rector of Trinity, who introduced him to the Reverend Palk Carrington, rector of Bridford. In Carrington, he discovered a genial spirit, and the two would undertake numerous sojourns. He lived at Bridford for a while, exploring its crisp woods and surrounding vistas.
Following the appeals of close associates, Traies sent a few examples to the Royal Academy in London and debuted in 1817. Given this scenario, many of his peers would’ve opted to move to the capital, thus furthering their opportunities. However, with such a decorous array of nature’s opulence on his doorstep, rarely did he venture beyond the southwest. Over the course of his seventy-year career, just four works were shown at the Academy.
In a piece catalogued as ‘Animated River Landscape with Sailboats and Sheep’, the use of a formidable tree in the foreground, juxtaposed with a delicate misty horizon, reminds us of both Claude Lorrain (c.1600-1682) and the 17th-century Dutch Italianates. The playful light, which dances upon the late-summer foliage, is handled deftly.
Traies spent his autumn years in Exeter where, following several family bereavements, including the loss of his three sons, he lived with his two grandchildren, Frank and William.
An obituarist at the Western Times described him as a “highly sensitive, gentle, and affectionate” man, “with a cultivated intelligence and a fine appreciation of his art”, “a most charming companion.”
He’s represented in several public collections, including at the V&A and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum.
Held in a 19th-century gilt frame with rocaille corners and extensive foliate, which is probably original.
Learn more about William Traies in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 49” x 41½” / 125cm x 105cm
Year of creation: c. 1840
Provenance: Boden Hall, Cheshire, UK.
Condition: Cleaned. Relined. Areas of fine and settled craquelure, as you would expect. The paint layer is stable. Frame with various marks and showing its age.
Artist’s auction maximum: £12,873 for ‘An Extensive Lakeland Landscape With Drover & Harvesters’, Oil on canvas, Christie’s, The R. E. Summerfield Collection Of Pictures, London, 2 November 1989 (lot 28).
Our reference: BRV2126
