This early 20th-century oil painting by British artist Henry John Kinnaird (1880-1920) depicts a quaint pastoral scene in Sussex, England.
Tranquillity, harmony and abundant beauty - it’s all here in the heart of the English countryside. Sheep meander past a rustic thatched cottage. Fieldhands work amid rolling hills. Bountiful trees stretch upwards, courting the gentle sun. It’s a veritable rural Utopia and a far cry from the bustle of industrialised cities.
Kinnaird valued nature, capturing its pleasantries in all their infinite splendour. He was a master of the Sussex landscape and often worked along the River Arun - moving to Arundel in 1908.
Note the flora in the foreground, enlivened with spots of colour, and the misty blue horizon with its gentle haze of tints.
Signed in the lower left and held within a later frame.
Medium: Watercolour on paper
Overall size: 27½” x 21” / 70cm x 54cm
Year of creation: c. 1910
Condition: Artwork presents well. Frame with some light wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £4,400
Henry John Kinnaird was probably trained by his father Francis Kinnaird (1836-1916). He exhibited at the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, and the Royal Society of Artists, Birmingham. He’s represented at Chelmsford Museum.
Learn more about Henry John Kinnaird in our directory.
We care profoundly about our role as custodians and every piece in the collection has been assessed by our conservator. When required, we undertake professional restoration carefully using reversible techniques and adopt a light touch to retain the aged charm of each work. We also restore frames rather than replace them as many are original and selected by the artists themselves.
