| The Idyllists |
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| A link for anyone interested in the group of British Victorian illustrators and watercolourists known as the Idyllists, particularly J W North ARA, Fred Walker ARA, George Pinwell, R W Macbeth, Hubert Herkomer, Lionel Smythe and the writer Richard Jefferies. Of all the great artists of C19 who made drawings for the wood engraver none excelled that wonderful quartet made up of Fred Walker, J W North, G J Pinwell and A B Houghton. All nearly of an age, as very young men, they did splendid work; and no greater calamity befell British art than when in the year 1875, Walker, Pinwell and Houghton, aged respectively thirty five, thirty three and thirty nine. North survived his three friends by close upon half a century living to see the old arts of wood- drawing die out, and mechanical process take the place of the latter. North's sense of colour was simply superb. He saw in Nature hues and effects which to an ordinary pair of eyes would be unobservable; and that he had the gift of being able to represent on paper, with the utmost tenderness and delicacy, all that was conveyed to his brain, as his pictures will forever show. Working in oils, North showed the same subtle and poetic appreciation of the beauties of Nature as evinced in his watercolours; but it is held that he was seen at his best in this latter branch of his work |
| The Idyllists Web Page |
| My name is Steve Milton, I am in the process of writing a biography of J W North ARA RWS. I have another site where more scraps of information can be found, the link below will take you there: Go to the new pages! I adding information to this site sporadically so if you have an interest it is best to make contact by either signing my guestbook and leaving a note of your enquiry or emailing me direct. Email your enquiry I will try to identify works by North and give broadbrush valuations, but please do not expect expert advice on works! I have a lot of material, but I always need more. I am particularly anxious to track down surviving correspondence from J W North to any of the other Idyllists listed or to Richard Jefferies the English writer. Steve Milton |
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| R Macbeth ARA |
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| Updated - 14/01/06 |
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| Key words: Royal Academy, Burlington House, pall mall gazette, Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours, Old watercolor society, watercolors, watercolorist, Victorian Water Colours, OW Paper, OW Paper and Arts Company, Victorian Artists, Victorian painters, John North, John William North, J W North, John North ARA RWS, John William North ARA RWS, J W North ARA RWS, J.W. North, Hayle Mill, Richard Jefferies, Beggearn Huish, beggearnhuish, Halsway Manor, Washford, Somerset Woolstone, Somerset Bicknoller, Somerset, Leighland, withycombe, old cleeve, roadwater, wood engravers, josiah whymper, dalziel, J Comyns Carr Comyns-Carr Game Laws. |
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