- Artist
- John William North 1841–1924
- Medium
- Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions
- Support: 667 × 984 mm
frame: 1040 × 1355 × 126 mm - Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Presented by the Trustees of the Chantrey Bequest 1891
- Reference
- N01607
Display caption
North was known for his pictures of tangled vegetation painted in subdued shades of brown and orange. Here, a figure is hidden in the dense undergrowth on the right, fanning a fire with a blanket. Smoke rises from the ground behind the figure. North was connected to a group of artists known as the Idyllists. Their paintings depicted idealised rural landscapes. They felt the countryside could provide peace, comfort and a spiritual connection, at a time when rural England was being rapidly industrialised. North opposed the enclosure of common lands and campaigned for rural sanitation and social housing.
Gallery label, November 2019
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