Landscape: Evening, with Two Boys Fishing

Location

Country: Peru
City: Lima
Place: British Embassy

This depiction of a lush, green rural landscape was painted as one of a pair (with GAC 3800) by George Barret senior. Barret is considered one of the best landscape painters of his day. The detailed and accurate representation of vegetation and rocks in the foreground of the painting is a characteristic feature of his work.

The works can be seen as a response to the growing popularity of picturesque scenes of rural life (sentimental genre scenes). Although Barret was a skilled figure and animal painter, the figures and dog in the paintings may have been added by another artist. Barret is known to have collaborated with animal painter Sawrey Gilpin, who painted figures on horseback within some of his compositions.

George Barret senior was born in Dublin. He began his artistic career colouring engravings and taught drawing in Dublin while making his own studies of the landscape around the city. By the time Barret moved to London in around 1763, he had established a successful career. Barret became a founder member of the Royal Academy in 1768, exhibiting there until 1782. His landscapes, influenced by Dutch and Italian art, are predominantly views of the wilder areas of Britain, including part of Wales and the Lake District, but also include views of the country estates owned by his various patrons. He was appointed Official Painter to the Chelsea Hospital in 1782, but did not live to complete any work for the hospital.

Places

Subjects

fisherman, fishing rod, landscape C18th, genre, tree, evening, boy, child, house

Materials & Techniques

canvas, oil, oil painting

Artist

George, Snr Barret (1728 - 1784)

Title

Landscape: Evening, with Two Boys Fishing

Date

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

height: 67.00 cm, width: 77.50 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Agnew's, May 1957

Provenance

With Agnew’s Gallery, London; from whom purchased in May 1957

GAC number

3801