This extensive mid-19th-century oil painting by British artist James Baker Pyne (1800-1870) depicts Arundel Mill on the River Arun in Sussex. Pyne was a distinguished painter of landscapes.

Nestled between rich foliage and a silvery waterway, stands Arundel Mill - a rusticated patchwork of bricks, wood and thatch. Every surface has been analysed with each texture skillfully emulated. In the foreground, two figures sit within a punt, while the windswept trees beyond merge into a haze.

Hailing from Bristol, Pyne’s early artistic prowess was somewhat hindered by a lengthy spell apprenticed to a solicitor. His father, a broker, urged the young man to pursue a ‘proper career’, dissuading him from becoming an artist. But at the age of 21, upon completing his apprenticeship, he took his first steps on a journey to becoming a well-regarded painter of merit.

With little in the way of support, he made his own way through the artistic world. Initially, he studied with the ‘Bristol School’ of painters who held evening get-togethers. They’d travel to nearby scenery, sit awhile to sketch and compare various ideas. The principal in this merry group was Francis Danby (1793-1861), an Irish painter famed for his ‘poetical’ landscapes and imaginative style. In 1822, he painted a view of the Avon Gorge depicting figures by a river.

Pyne was inspired by Danby and his early works exhibit similar traits. In his ‘Lake Scene with Boat and Figures’ from 1828, he leans upon Danby for tone and composition. 

In 1832, Pyne travelled to France with the artist Edward Villiers Rippingille and, shortly after, debuted at London’s British Institution. Around this time, his style began to shift towards lighter tones and broader classically-inspired vistas. He soon moved to the capital and from his studio at Dorset Square, Marylebone, began his career in earnest.

Critics began to compare his expansive views to the great JMW Turner - they were awash with tinted Italianate skies, Claudian sunsets, and strong vertical ‘framing’ trees. The Art Journal published the following:

“With the exception of Turner, no living landscape-painter sees nature, and depicts it too, under such a glorious ‘flood of light;’ so brilliant is its effulgence as to leave little space for shadow in his compositions, except here and there in the foreground, where a few figures are introduced; or a clump of bushes, or a rugged bank, intercept the daylight.”

Seven of his works were shown at the Royal Academy before he switched to exhibiting regularly at the Society of British Artists. From here, he gained further acclaim and various forms of patronage.

A stickler for details, in 1846, he travelled to Germany, Switzerland and Italy, for the sole purpose of studying light effects on snow. It was a perilous journey, particularly when traversing the peaks in all conditions. The following year, he was rewarded with a commission from Thomas Agnew & Sons to produce numerous views of the Lake District for circulation as prints. He returned to Italy in 1851.

Alongside his airy visions of sublime topography, he also treasured the iconic sights that peppered the British countryside, particularly watermills. Often, we’re reminded of the great John Constable who was so obsessed with accurate textures that he’d collect ‘bits’ of the landscape for later study. Indeed, a view of Arundel Mill was Constable’s last known work.

Pyne spent the remainder of his life living in London with his wife and children, continuing to exhibit at the foremost venues. He also became an educator, publishing various notes in periodicals. He’s represented at The British Museum, V&A Museum, Walker Art Gallery and the Tate.

In the words of the poet John Keats (1795-1821), “these scenes make man appear little. I never forgot my stature so completely - I live in the eye, and my imagination, surpassed, is at rest.”

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

Learn more about James Baker Pyne in our directory.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 61” x 43” / 156cm x 111cm
Year of creation: c. 1850
Labels & Inscriptions: Dealer’s label on reverse from Christopher Cole Fine Paintings.
Provenance: With Christopher Cole Fine Paintings, Beaconsfield / Private collection, country house, Oxfordshire / Private collection, UK.
Condition: Cleaned. Craquelure in areas. The paint layer is stable. Frame with various marks and showing its age.
Artist’s auction maximum: £35,000 for ‘View of the Costume House from the Thames (1850)’, Oil on canvas, Christie’s, British Pictures 1500-1850 And Victorian Pictures, London, 2002 (lot 175).
Our reference: BRV1945