On the North Coast of Devon, Lundy Island in the Distance
Samuel Palmer British
Not on view
During the mid-1830s, Samuel Palmer moved away from the visionary style of his youthful Shoreham period when he belonged to a group of like-minded artists known as the "Ancients." In this coastal view of a county he dubbed "dear, spongy Devon," Palmer's obsessive attention to detail and penchant for striking color serve a naturalistic vision. A highly finished promontory in the center of the scene contrasts with a loosely-sketched foreground, and the inventive process is underscored by black chalk lines applied over the watercolor to emphasize the graphite sketch beneath. Lundy Island, seen on the right horizon, lies in the Bristol Channel, twelve miles north of Devon. Palmer first toured the area in 1834, and likely made the present watercolor during a return visit a year later.
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