Places Of The Mind is an aptly titled new exhibition of watercolours at the British Museum in London. It is free to view until 27th August this year and well worth a visit.
After a quick visit to see the treasures of Sutton Hoo I spied the signage to this exhibition and headed to see it. So glad I did. The exhibition celebrates British landscape painters from 1850-1950. The works are all owned by the British Museum and many of them have never seen the light of day at a public exhibition .
So many works to choose from, it was difficult to select ones for this post. Not all were watercolour, some were pastels and others pen and ink. Here are just a few that drew my eye.
John Brett's Pansies and fern shoots painted in 1862. Pre-Raphelite Brett was encouraged to study nature closely and he certainly did so in this delicate work.
Arthur Croft's Rydal falls from 1865 was one of many landscape paintings he undertook from around the world. The falls were located in Westmorland, one of those no longer named counties in the U.K.
Paul Nash: Sea by night at Dymchurch was painted in 1919. Nash was an official war artist and after the war suffered a nervous breakdown. He found solace in the scenery around Dymchurch in Kent.
C.R.W.Nevison : Air street from around 1924-26. Using coloured chalks he depicts the redevelopment of Regents street in London in a rather depressing way.
Michael Rothenstein: Essex landscape from 1947. Slightly more abstract than previous artists the bold colours certainly drew my eye to this work.
Reuben Mednikoff : October 2nd 1938. This work lends itself to the surrealist movement. He used childhood memories to tap into, for this sinister work of art.
Cecil Collins : Seashell; mysterious joy. 1936. The painting depicts a stellar firework display over the sea.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh: Port Vendres 1926-27. This was a strange offering by someone I think of as an architect and designer. One of my favourites from the exhibition.
I wonder which of the above you like the best? Remember to add your own post this month to a favourite artist or new exhibition you have visited. It's great to share all the wonderful art all around us.
Barbara xxx
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