catalog text
“SUSSEX LANDSCAPE” BY EDWIN L. MEADOWS (BRITISH, FL. 1854-72)
In oil on canvas, signed lower right and dated 1862
Item # 702JIK11
Edwin L. Meadows was a landscape painter working mostly out of London. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1857 through 1867, also at the British Institution and the Suffolk Street Exhibition, and his work has achieved significant and steady four to five figure results at auction through much of the late twentieth century. In this view of Sussex, he has perfectly captured the rural yesterday with its wide swaths of open green space serving as lush forage for dozens of grazing sheep. Into the serene silence, comes the sound of hoofbeats pounding out a staccato and the yipping of an excited little dog. The rustic blue horse-drawn cart is filled with hay upon which sits a man with a black hat and a woman with a red shawl. Amid twisting old roads, hedgerows dividing fields, and an arched stone bridge over a tranquil brook, a nostalgic reminder of the natural rhythms of the seasons is precisely executed. The farmhouse, tucked between brook and road, seems to rise organically from the landscape, with tall leafy trees framing it. Noteworthy is the vivid and bright palette and deeply complex detailing of the scene. It is an exquisitely painted piece that shows a very skilled hand and inquisitive eye.
Measurements: [frame] 23 5/8” H x 37 1/2” W x 2 1/8” D; [canvas] 18 1/2” H x 32 3/8” W
Literature:
- Dictionary of British Art, Vol. IV, Victorian Painters, Christopher Wood, p. 349
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. IX, Gründ, p. 673
Condition Report:
Relined on linen. Could benefit from being cleaned, some surface grime/yellowing of varnish. Upper right and left corner with some inpainting. Under UV scattered touch ups visible throughout foliage and trees, length of left horizon with inpainting. The centermost mark was professionally removed after photos were taken. Frame is early with some minor wear/cracking. Overall a most excellent presentation.