Artists in Purbeck: Sense of Place

 I visited this exhibition, Artists in Purbeck: Spirit of Place at Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum at the beginning of January after hearing about the exhibition from its Guest Curator, Dr Gill Clarke MBE who is well known to many of us having been kind enough to give several talks over the years. 

From Swindon it is possible to travel on the train to Bournemouth in 2 hours with one change at Reading, making it feasible to make the trip in a day. I took photos of the exhibition and a few more, of course. The day was very sunny with a cloudless sky, making the outside of Russell-Cotes look even more magnificent than usual:

By the front entrance there was a lovely selection of tender succulents looking undamaged by frost, this was before the hard frosts of the last week.

We had lunch in the Russell-Cotes cafe; here are Sarah and Lyn seen below sitting in front of the enlarged facsimile of one of the paintings of Corfe Castle in the exhibition.

There's a temporary exhibition space at R-C comprising two rooms, below there's a photo of the entrance to the exhibition with the Corfe Castle painting at the centre and depicting the Purbeck area with some information about the exhibition on the right hand side. This area is known as the 'Isle of Purbeck' constituting about sixty square miles with sea on three sides. The dramatic landscape has attracted artists to this area over the twentieth century and this is the first major exhibition devoted to some of the major artists who painted in the area, The Swanage News also had a big spread on the exhibition and also noted the lovely seat in the cafe.

The best way of appreciating the exhibition is to visit, but here are a few of my favourite pieces from the exhibition:

Above this is 'The Blue Pool', 1910, by Augustus John, the blue pool is a landlocked pool near Furzebrook, long since ceased to be a site for Purbeck Ball Clay extraction for tobacco pipe manufacture and pottery, the pool always looks a vibrant blue colour. This is caused by the light refraction of clay particles suspended in the water. John wrote 'This pool.... is always a beautiful turquoise blue, no matter what the sky is like.' The model in the painting is one of his favourite models, Dorelia McNeil.

This is another more recent watercolour and pastel on paper rendition of the 'Blue Pool', 2022 by Felicity House drawn and painted on site. Makes me want to go and visit, although it has been developed into a tourist attraction.

On loan from Pallant House Gallery, this painting 'Near Swanage', 1916 by Mark Gertler is stunning in any exhibition, here it looks wonderfully at home. When he painted this work, he was staying with his patron at Peveril House, he described the 'wonderful country here' to Dora Carrington, he explained: 'from every window one gets a good enough view for painting. The sea surrounds the house on two sides. There is just a bit of garden and then cliff, below which is open sea.'

And a further wow on seeing this acrylic and mixed media piece by Jeremy Gardiner, entitled 'Old Harry Rocks V, 2022 which are captured wonderfully by Jeremy Gardiner. 'Old Harry' was one of twenty locations on the Jurassic Coast painted by him between 2018 and 2022for his series 'Strata'.

Above 'Spray', 1940 by Harold Williamson is a very well known painting probably the location was Dancing Ledge near Swanage where the flat rock juts into the sea and was a site for quarrying stone. Williamson was an art teacher at Bournemouth School of Art and Manchester School of Art. His students where in awe of his life drawing skills and knowledge of anatomy admirably displayed here in the woman's back muscles.

'Coastline Series No.1', 1993 by Martin Brewster is an etching on paper. He has been drawing around the Dorset coast for over thirty five years. The beauty of the promontory has been wonderfully captured along with a small row of coastguard cottages and a chapel which can't be seen in the photo.

My final selection from the many I could have chosen from the exhibition is the one above. It's 'Corfe Castle in the Beauteous Isle of Purbeck', 1940 by Isabel Saul and is tempera on board. This magnificent highly detailed painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1940. It's unsurprising that Saul also produced illustrations for children's books.

This wonderful exhibition left me wanting to find out more about the Isle of Purbeck and visit The blue Pool, Dancing Ledge, Peveril House and Old Harry Rocks. I think a trip to the Isle of Purbeck is necessary to fully understand this exhibition which runs until 16 March.

There is so much to see at R-C apart from the temporary exhibition that I have severely restricted my choices of the 'best bits'. I love William de Morgan tiles and there is a wonderful display at R-C, here one of them above. It's hard to photograph them because of reflections on their case

This painting entitled 'Painter and Model' is by John Minton. It was purchased through the Contemporary Arts Society in 1954 and is a stunning work featuring the artist in the background. The feet of the model are exquisitely depicted and because it's such a large painting, it's a real knock out when you enter the room.

OK the last photo from inside the gallery. 'Gypsy Horse Drovers', 1894 by Lucy Kemp-Welch was exhibited at the Royal Academy while she was still a student. It's a fabulous piece among so many other paintings which could have been included. 

Having spent hours looking at paintings, we went for a cream tea in the cafe and as we emerged from Russell-Cotes, the sun was setting behind the pier.

What a perfect day. Do go and visit the Artists in Purbeck: Spirit of Place exhibition before 16 March if you can.

Other posts on Russell-Cotes include these two:

Post: Edit

Post: Edit