This early 20th-century oil painting by British artist Ernest Higgins Rigg (1868-1947) depicts a rolling Summertime landscape with grazing sheep.

While training in Paris, Rigg became influenced by the French Impressionists. He embraced their passion for painting outdoors, their rapid brushwork, and their obsession for capturing light. However, back in Britain, the formal art scene was less welcoming of the new French approach, so he found himself caught between two worlds. As such, looking back across his body of works, there’s a clear division between his finer traditional British paintings and his looser ‘plein air’ rural daubs.

Here we see an example of the latter - a scattering of joyful impressionistic marks enlivened with verdancy. Note the sparkling stream ambling its way diagonally through the lower right. The feathery handling of the various trees, each with its distinct characteristics. And the deftly rendered highlights, which draw one’s attention. He’s captivated by the fleeting effects of light, entranced by the majesty of Summer.

Signed in the lower left and held within a later frame.

Medium: Oil on canvas laid on board
Overall size: 22½” x 18½” / 57cm x 47cm
Year of creation: c. 1930
Labels & Inscriptions: Gallery label on reverse.
Provenance: Private collection, England.
Condition: Artwork presents well. Frame with some light wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £13,658

Ernest Higgins Rigg

Rigg studied at the Bradford School of Art and later at the Academie Julian in Paris. He was a founding member of the Staithes Art Club and worked in a circle of artists including Harold and Dame Laura Knight. He exhibited widely including at the Royal Academy, Walker Art Gallery Liverpool and the Royal Society of British Artists. His works are held in various public collections such as Bradford Museum and Sheffield Museum.

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