Alfred James Munnings (British painter) 1878 - 1959
Marjory (Girl on Horseback), s.d.
oil on canvas
36 x 40 in. (91.4 x 101.6 cm.)
signed A.J. Munnings (lower left)
private collection
Catalogue Note
The Newlyn School in Cornwall was a pioneering group of plein-air painters in Britain, and its members were drawn to the area due to its warm climate, inexpensive living and sparkling light. By 1913, when Marjory was painted, Munnings was among the most accomplished artists and his virtuosity is certainly evident in the present work. With his characteristic impressionistic vigor, Munnings has filled the entire composition with subtle and nuanced color, creating an overture of warm greens. His model, calm and composed astride a sturdy dappled grey, is framed by a sparkling curtain of backlit foliage. As Lorian Peralta-Ramos writes: “the poetry of the moment is created by Munnings’ skill at transforming the dispersal of light into an even balance of tone throughout the canvas. The overall glow of light describes the mood and reflects the tranquility of idle summer days” (Peralta-Ramos, The Mastery of Munnings, exh. cat., 2000, p. 27).
Confidently meeting the viewer’s gaze through the shade of the tree’s canopy, it is clear that Marjory is an enigmatic sitter and was extremely captivating. She was a young local Cornish girl whom Munnings used as a model, as did fellow Newlyn artist, Dame Laura Knight, who wrote of Marjory in her memoirs, Oil Paint and Grease Paint (New York, 1936, p. 217).
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario