David Cox OWS, Haymaking – 1850 watercolour painting
David Cox OWS, Haymaking – 1850 watercolour painting
David Cox OWS, Haymaking – 1850 watercolour painting
David Cox OWS, Haymaking – 1850 watercolour painting
David Cox OWS, Haymaking – 1850 watercolour painting
David Cox OWS, Haymaking – 1850 watercolour painting

David Cox OWS Haymaking

£2,100.00
£2,100.00
Esaurito

An original 1850 watercolour painting – David Cox OWS, Haymaking.

This bravura, atmospheric watercolour painting by David Cox OWS (1783–1859) is a wonderful example of the artist's mature work, dated 1850. After his retirement from London to the village of Harborne near Birmingham in 1841, Cox gave up teaching and determined to focus on his art in more peaceful rural surroundings. This watercolour displays the bold freedom of technique that developed during this final period of his career and on which Cox's reputation as one of the greatest landscape painters of the first half of the 19th century rests.

David Cox specialised in capturing the effects of weather and light in the English and Welsh countryside. Characteristically in his late work he chose to depict wide open landscapes with broad horizons, allowing for big skies and an affecting feeling of freedom and space, often with blustery winds. In the present painting the sky is heavily clouded and the vigorous, slanting grasses in the foreground imply a certain exposed ruggedness. The landscape, with hills or mountains in the distance, is possibly inspired by Cox's tours of Wales, which he made regularly throughout his life. For known examples of Welsh haymaking subjects see Haymaking, Welsh Mountains, 1848 (V&A P.11-1968), Haymaking near Conway, 1852–3 (Manchester Art Gallery 1948.49) and Haymaking on Snowdon, 1847 (Towneley Hall Art Gallery & Museum).

Cox's concern was not topography, however, and the present work fits more generally with other haymaking subjects in the artist's oeuvre. He painted numerous compositions between 1843 and 1853 with the title 'Going to the Hayfield'. An early work, c.1808 (Yale Centre for British Art), which shares the motif of the central haywain on the horizon with the present painting, shows the artist's long-standing connection with the subject. This was no doubt influenced by the work of his English contemporary Peter De Wint (1784–1849) who specialised in pre-industrial harvesting scenes.

In watercolour heightened with bodycolour on rough textured, flecked brown paper.

+ Read the Artist Research

David Cox OWS (1783–1859)

David Cox OWS (1783–1859) is considered one of the greatest English landscape painters and was a major figure in the Golden age of English watercolour.

Born in Deritend near Birmingham, he was the son of a blacksmith. In his youth Cox was apprenticed to a miniature painter and then to a scene painter, with whom he moved to London. By 1808 he was taking watercolour lessons with John Varley, who was to have a significant influence on his early style.

Cox regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1805, and in 1810 was elected President of the Associated Artists in Water Colour. In 1812 he was elected an Associate of the Society of Painters in Water Colour (Old Water Colour Society), and then Member in 1813. He exhibited there every year except 1815 and 1817, until his death.

In his early years Cox earned his living chiefly as a drawing-master. In 1814 he moved from London to Hereford, to take up appointment at a girls' school, and it was during this period that he got to know the Welsh border country and Wales itself. In 1827 he returned to London, by now fairly successful as an artist and with many rich students.

Throughout the 1830s he made sketching tours in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Wales and Kent. From around this time his watercolour style was loosening and broadening, focusing on wilder landscape subjects and the elemental effects of atmosphere and weather.

In later life Cox moved back to his native Birmingham, continuing to paint Welsh subjects. From 1844 until 1856 he spent summers at Betws-y-Coed, where much of what is considered the artist's best work was produced. The mountain scenery inspired some of his freest, most fluid handling of the watercolour medium.

COA
+ Artwork Details

Dimensions: Height: 17cm (6.69") Width: 30.2cm (11.89")

Presented: Unframed.

Medium: Watercolour

Age: Mid-19th-century

Signed: Signed lower left.

Inscribed: No.

Dated: Dated lower left.

Condition: Some age toning and minor marks as shown. There is a very short repaired tear to the upper edge. Note that the white marks to the top of the haywain are paint dabs representing figures not losses to the paper surface. Please see photos for detail.

Stock number: KE-235