This charming late 19th-century oil painting by English artist Harry William Adams (1868-1947) depicts a wooded landscape with a distant view. It’s possibly the Malvern Hills or the Teme Valley where he often worked. Adams was an accomplished painter of naturalistic landscapes who exhibited at London’s Royal Academy.
From our elevated vantage point, tucked between late Summer foliage, our view extends across fields towards a tinted horizon. It’s restful and still, with the air punctuated by the delicate lilt of birdsong. Adams loved it here and pitched his easel to capture the sublimity of the English countryside. He was around 19 when he painted this - with the world at his feet.
The artist’s ability to portray the environment so simply, yet with such feeling, was derived from a connection to nature that probably originated in childhood. He was born, and remained for most of his life, in Worcestershire, a county known for its idyllic cottages and iconic Malvern Hills.
Adams was raised in the quaint village of ‘Tything of Whistones’, and studied initially at the Worcester School of Art before pursuing a career at the Royal Worcester Porcelain Factory, where he worked for eight years.
However, his aptitude for painting soon warranted his entire focus, and he travelled to Paris to train at the formidable Academie Julian. He did so at a time when the French capital was thriving and in the midst of the Belle Époque - a vibrant period of societal change and iconic design.
Upon his return from France, his decision to switch to painting was rewarded when, in 1896, he debuted at London’s Royal Academy. This, in turn, led to greater opportunities and his career began to flourish.
His works are often characterised by easy, somewhat loose, brushwork, which is closer to the Impressionists than it is to traditional British landscape paintings. It’s evident that he produced most of these on the spot, working ‘en plein air’, and was doing so prior to his training in France. His colouring is nearly always muted, which amplifies the sense of tranquillity that floods his canvases.
During the early 20th century, the census records him as living at Frog Hall, Upton Snodsbury, Worcestershire, with the Bomford family before moving to Martley with his wife, Nancy. It was here, while in Martley, when his ‘Winter Sleep’ was acquired by the nation via the Chantrey Bequest. It's currently at the Tate in London.
Later in life, he was employed as an Assistant Art Master at the Victoria Institute of Worcester (which is now home to the Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum). Nancy was also working as an art teacher and the pair undoubtedly influenced scores of budding artists.
Aside from the Tate, he's also represented at the Grundy Art Gallery, Torre Abbey Museum, and at Worcester.
Signed in the lower right and held in a contemporary frame.
Learn more about Harry William Adams in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 15½” x 11½” / 39cm x 29cm
Year of creation: c. 1887
Labels & Inscriptions: Inscribed with the artist’s name on the reverse. George Rowney & Co supplier’s stencil (64 Oxford Street and Princes Hall, Piccadilly), corresponding to the period between 1884 and 1896. Another example of this exact stencil is displayed in the archives of the National Portrait Gallery and dates to 1886-1887.
Provenance: Private collection, UK.
Condition: Cleaned. Craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Frame in excellent condition.
Artist’s auction maximum: £1,300 for ‘An Alpine Scene’ (1893), Oil on canvas, Bonhams, Pictures From The Simon Carter Gallery, London, 21 January 1998 (lot 104).
Our reference: BRV2076
