This early 20th-century watercolour by English artist Albert Moulton Foweraker RBA (1873-1942) depicts a nocturnal view in Algeciras, southern Spain. Foweraker was an accomplished painter of landscapes and this is a splendid example of his talent.
Under a muted sky where the stars shimmer amid a haze of blue, two figures stand before a row of rustic Spanish cottages. In the distance, a single light draws the eye, glimmering amid pale render - the poplar trees are deftly reflected. The artist adored it here, capturing several idyllic vignettes of quaint Andalusian streets.
Born in Exeter, Devon, Foweraker’s formative years were spent immersed in academic development. His father, Edmund Thomas Foweraker, was the headmaster of the local Cathedral School and would’ve encouraged his son to study intently. As a result, he obtained a degree in Applied Science from Christ's College, Cambridge, and also qualified as a milling engineer. However, within a few years, he switched his attention to art and began exhibiting at various local shows. It’s not entirely clear why he arrived at this decision but according to one source, he was forced to move away from engineering following an accident.
It’s interesting to consider Foweraker’s scientific background in the context of his approach to colour. Very rarely did he work with a broad palette, instead preferring a limited range, somewhat akin to late 19th-century tonalism. One can imagine him enjoying greater control of a composition by paring back the ingredients.
In 1902, around four years after his decision to become a painter, he was elected to the Royal Society of British Artists - where he went on to exhibit over 50 works. The same year, he moved to Lelant in Cornwall, with the enchanting Carbis Bay, a short distance from his house. From here, he established a firm foothold in the artistic community, forging a solid career as a painter of merit.
Aside from his coastal views of the southwest, Foweraker also sought inspiration abroad, undertaking study trips to France, North Africa and Spain, where he provided painting classes. Andalusia was a particular draw and a region he returned to.
During the 1920s, he entered what could be referred to as his ‘blue period’, whereby he produced numerous nocturnes in subtle variations of blue, with green and gold highlights. Following an exhibition in Plymouth in 1929, a journalist remarked that “simple cottage and street scenes are invested with a poetry of feeling both reposeful and satisfying” and “perhaps no other Westcountry artist paints moonlight with such beautiful tone effects”.
His final chapters were spent in Swanage, Dorset, where he continued to exhibit locally. He’s represented at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and the Royal Watercolour Society.
Signed in the lower left, framed and glazed.
Learn more about Albert Moulton Foweraker RBA in our directory.
Medium: Watercolour with bodycolour on paper
Overall size: 17½” x 15½” / 45cm x 40cm
Year of creation: c. 1929
Labels & Inscriptions: Inscribed with title on reverse.
Provenance: Private collection, UK.
Condition: Possible areas of discolouration. Frame in good condition with minor age-related wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £4,800 for ‘Polperro (1901)’, Oil on canvas, Christie’s, Modern British and Irish Art, London, 1997 (lot 163).
Our reference: BRV2058
