This early 20th-century oil on canvas by British artist Nelson Wright (1880-1930) depicts several cattle grazing alongside a shimmering pond.

It’s a tranquil Summer’s day in the English countryside.

Works by this artist are hard to track down but his ability is clear to see. Note the composition, with its focus on a gap between the foliage. It guides the eye across the fields and out towards the distant horizon. And the pond is another success, with its simple highlights to capture the light.

Wright hailed from Cleckheaton, Yorkshire but spent most of his adult life in Manchester. His family worked in the wool trade and on the 1901 census’, he was employed as a woolsorter. In 1918, he’s recorded as serving in the RAF during World War I, which was a particularly pioneering time for British aviation. But aside from his various roles, his artistic pursuits continued to be his true passion.

In 1930, the year he died, The Telegraph referred to his “deep appreciation of the use of sharp colouring” when describing his work “View from Loughrigg, Ambleside”.

The painting is signed and held within a gilt frame.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 31½” x 25” / 80cm x 64cm
Year of creation: c. 1900
Condition: Artwork presents well. Light craquelure. Frame with some light wear.