DOI Heft:
No. 91 (Oct., 1900)
DOI Artikel:Sparrow, Walter Shaw: Ralph Peacock and his work
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19786#0020
Ralph Peacock and his Woi'k
to put on canvas a radiant figure of Truth surrounded pictorial examination-paper; considered as such,
by a number of human forms that typified man's it leaves little to be desired. No doubt the story
illusions and meaner passions, and that tried in in it is made dramatic in a manner that is coldly,
vain to disconcert their kind enemy. But it soon as well as rather stiffly, academic; but there is a
became clear to Mr. Peacock that this was not a vigorous directness in its appeal, the colour is
good subject, so he turned away from it and good, and the handling has breadth and is sugges-
settled down on a far better one, wherein he tive of much careful thought. The jury of
could attempt to show the full extent of the Academicians decided, certainly with justice, that
knowledge that he had acquired in the schools : Mr. Peacock had faced and overcome the greatest
knowledge of perspective and of archaeology, as number of difficulties, and for this reason the
well as of drawing, of anatomy, of formal composi- Gold Medal and the Travelling Studentship were
tion, and of painting The canvas that he painted awarded to him.
has been well described as a school-piece,' as a During his absence from England, which lasted
nearly one year, Mr. Peacock saw
many historic places and made many
good sketches from nature, all re-
markable for a painter-like directness
of touch, a happy choice of subject,
and a delightful appreciation of the
varied loveliness of sunlight. He
touched at Gibraltar, he sketched at
Tangier, and he lingered for six weeks
at Granada, painting the Moorish
ruins and enjoying a liberal education
in fine colour. About the middle of
May, 1892, Mr. Peacock left Spain by
boat for Genoa, and, travelling by
way of Florence and Venice, found
cool weather in the Swiss mountains.
He set up his abode in the hill-side
village of Wasen, situated in the St.
Gothard valley, midway between the
refreshing fertility of the lowlands
and the bleakness of the arid heights.
At Wasen, during the summer, Mr.
Peacock studied the wonderful effects
of light and shadow seen on the
mountains ; also he brought to com-
pletion, and sent to the Institute of
Painters in Oil Colours, a well-handled
landscape finely characteristic of the
scenery around the village. The
summer gone, he went back to Italy,
not without reluctance—for the charm
of the country was strong upon him—
and passed a good many days in the
galleries at Florence. When this
duty was discharged, he returned to
his sketching life in the open air,
making his temporary home at Settig-
nano, a village close to Florence. It
was here that he painted his picture
of Oxen Ploughing that attracted
BY RALPH PEACOCK
(In the Chantrev Collection) favourable notice at the Academy m
to put on canvas a radiant figure of Truth surrounded pictorial examination-paper; considered as such,
by a number of human forms that typified man's it leaves little to be desired. No doubt the story
illusions and meaner passions, and that tried in in it is made dramatic in a manner that is coldly,
vain to disconcert their kind enemy. But it soon as well as rather stiffly, academic; but there is a
became clear to Mr. Peacock that this was not a vigorous directness in its appeal, the colour is
good subject, so he turned away from it and good, and the handling has breadth and is sugges-
settled down on a far better one, wherein he tive of much careful thought. The jury of
could attempt to show the full extent of the Academicians decided, certainly with justice, that
knowledge that he had acquired in the schools : Mr. Peacock had faced and overcome the greatest
knowledge of perspective and of archaeology, as number of difficulties, and for this reason the
well as of drawing, of anatomy, of formal composi- Gold Medal and the Travelling Studentship were
tion, and of painting The canvas that he painted awarded to him.
has been well described as a school-piece,' as a During his absence from England, which lasted
nearly one year, Mr. Peacock saw
many historic places and made many
good sketches from nature, all re-
markable for a painter-like directness
of touch, a happy choice of subject,
and a delightful appreciation of the
varied loveliness of sunlight. He
touched at Gibraltar, he sketched at
Tangier, and he lingered for six weeks
at Granada, painting the Moorish
ruins and enjoying a liberal education
in fine colour. About the middle of
May, 1892, Mr. Peacock left Spain by
boat for Genoa, and, travelling by
way of Florence and Venice, found
cool weather in the Swiss mountains.
He set up his abode in the hill-side
village of Wasen, situated in the St.
Gothard valley, midway between the
refreshing fertility of the lowlands
and the bleakness of the arid heights.
At Wasen, during the summer, Mr.
Peacock studied the wonderful effects
of light and shadow seen on the
mountains ; also he brought to com-
pletion, and sent to the Institute of
Painters in Oil Colours, a well-handled
landscape finely characteristic of the
scenery around the village. The
summer gone, he went back to Italy,
not without reluctance—for the charm
of the country was strong upon him—
and passed a good many days in the
galleries at Florence. When this
duty was discharged, he returned to
his sketching life in the open air,
making his temporary home at Settig-
nano, a village close to Florence. It
was here that he painted his picture
of Oxen Ploughing that attracted
BY RALPH PEACOCK
(In the Chantrev Collection) favourable notice at the Academy m