Elford Fine Art
Lydford Gorge Bridge, William Widgery (1826 - 1893), oil on canvas
Lydford Gorge Bridge, William Widgery (1826 - 1893), oil on canvas
An exhibition showcasing the most popular painters of Dartmoor takes place at Elford Fine Art’s gallery in the heart of Tavistock this July. The show features oil paintings and watercolours from the 19th Century to today, all available for sale.
70 pictures, 20 artists, five private collections, all under one roof - this is an unmissable opportunity to experience the dramatic beauty of Dartmoor through the eyes of generations of painters best known for their interpretations of the moor in all its moods and the animals which live there.
The name Widgery is synonymous with Dartmoor and the exhibition features pictures by both William (1826 - 1893) and Frederick John (1861 - 1942). William Widgery did much to develop the art of moorland painting during the second half of the 19th Century and could justifiably be acknowledged as the father figure of an informal “Dartmoor School”.
A rare self- portrait of William sitting at his easel is a highlight of the exhibition.
William lived in Lydford and, wrapped up against the elements, he would stride out across the moor to set up his easel before a grand vista or beside a rushing stream, working on his picture there and then before returning to his studio to apply the finishing touches.
When William’s career as a professional painter was blossoming, Dartmoor could hardly have been less fashionable in artistic circles. Its isolation and challenging terrain hindered its appeal as a source of subject matter. William Widgery changed all that. His work revealed the artistic potential of Dartmoor, its untamed beauty and the wild, mysterious character of its landscapes.
William’s pictures proved so popular that they sold as fast as he could paint them and he was an important influence on many who followed in his footsteps, notably his son, Frederick John.
Unlike his father, who was self-taught, F.J. trained at academies in London and Antwerp. He exhibited at The Royal Academy, The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours and The Royal Institute of Oil Painters. His evocative images of Dartmoor’s imposing tors, dramatic skies, tumbling streams and colourful heather-clad valleys grew in demand as the railways brought more visitors to Devon and Cornwall, keen to take a memento back home.
The 20 artists represented in the exhibition also include Charles E. Brittan, Arthur H. Enock, George H. Jenkins, Mabel Kingwell, Philip Mitchell, William and Bertram Morrish, Lewis Mortimer, Douglas Pinder, Thomas Rowden, Reginald Sherrin, John C. I. Uren and John White.
The exhibition, which is free to view, is open at Elford Fine Art, Drake Road, Tavistock from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday throughout July, starting on Thursday, July 4. For more information telephone 07712 137272 or visit www.elfordfineart.co.uk