DOI Heft:
No. 136 (July, 1904)
DOI Artikel:Holland, Clive: The work of Frederick Whitehead, a painter of Thomas Hardy's "Wessex"
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19882#0127
A Painter of Hardy s Wessex
well. Certainly none has
pictured the latter with
such breadth, sympathy,
and success. Compara-
tively speaking —■ we do
not of course deny the
existence of isolated
canvases of Wessex sub-
jects of outstanding merit
—this land of emerald
mead and silvery stream,
swart moorland, commons
ablaze with golden gorse,
heaths ruddy-purple with
heather, rounded uplands,
and quiet pastoral nooks,
has, in a sense, remained a
terra incognita to all save
a few artists and anti-
mr. whitehead's encampment at upper lytchett quarians, and stray holiday-
makers. But it has for
the last ten years or so
THE WORK OF FREDERICK been painted by Mr. Whitehead in varying moods
WHITEHEAD, A PAINTER OF of its beauty so vividly, truthfully, and sym-
THOMAS HARDY'S " WESSEX." pathetically, that he may without challenge lay
■gY CLIVE HOLLAND claim to be the painter of Wessex. Certain it is
that a Wessex man could " live " with the pictures
Just as there is a " Constable" country and a which have come from his easel, and rest satisfied
" Shakespeare" country, there has, in due course with the various interpretations he has given to
of time, by reason of the genius of Mr. Thomas familiar and loved scenes.
Hardy, come to be a "Hardy" country : which, In Godlingstone Heath (p. 113), for example, we
though known by the wider description of " Wessex," have a representation of one of the most beautiful
is, to all intents and purposes, the old-world county stretches of hill and moorland in the county. It was
of Dorset. Compara-
tively seldom, indeed, has
the novelist gone outside
the confines of the county
for the main action of
his numerous novels and
tales. And the painter
of Wessex is therefore, in
excelsis, that of Dorset.
In Mr. F. Whitehead
this "fayre land," which
foregathers within its
confines scenery of such
endless variety, may truth-
fully be said to have
found a singularly sym-
pathetic interpreter. No
artist knows this land of
romance, ancient customs,
and exquisite natural
beauties better; few so "the frome, near moreton" by f. whitehead
well. Certainly none has
pictured the latter with
such breadth, sympathy,
and success. Compara-
tively speaking —■ we do
not of course deny the
existence of isolated
canvases of Wessex sub-
jects of outstanding merit
—this land of emerald
mead and silvery stream,
swart moorland, commons
ablaze with golden gorse,
heaths ruddy-purple with
heather, rounded uplands,
and quiet pastoral nooks,
has, in a sense, remained a
terra incognita to all save
a few artists and anti-
mr. whitehead's encampment at upper lytchett quarians, and stray holiday-
makers. But it has for
the last ten years or so
THE WORK OF FREDERICK been painted by Mr. Whitehead in varying moods
WHITEHEAD, A PAINTER OF of its beauty so vividly, truthfully, and sym-
THOMAS HARDY'S " WESSEX." pathetically, that he may without challenge lay
■gY CLIVE HOLLAND claim to be the painter of Wessex. Certain it is
that a Wessex man could " live " with the pictures
Just as there is a " Constable" country and a which have come from his easel, and rest satisfied
" Shakespeare" country, there has, in due course with the various interpretations he has given to
of time, by reason of the genius of Mr. Thomas familiar and loved scenes.
Hardy, come to be a "Hardy" country : which, In Godlingstone Heath (p. 113), for example, we
though known by the wider description of " Wessex," have a representation of one of the most beautiful
is, to all intents and purposes, the old-world county stretches of hill and moorland in the county. It was
of Dorset. Compara-
tively seldom, indeed, has
the novelist gone outside
the confines of the county
for the main action of
his numerous novels and
tales. And the painter
of Wessex is therefore, in
excelsis, that of Dorset.
In Mr. F. Whitehead
this "fayre land," which
foregathers within its
confines scenery of such
endless variety, may truth-
fully be said to have
found a singularly sym-
pathetic interpreter. No
artist knows this land of
romance, ancient customs,
and exquisite natural
beauties better; few so "the frome, near moreton" by f. whitehead