John Linnell

Reapers, Noonday Rest

1865

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Not on display

Artist: John Linnell 1792–1882
Medium: Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions: Support: 940 x 1397 mm
frame: 1180 x 1643 x 128 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Presented by Sir Henry Tate 1894
Reference: N01546

Display caption

Linnell claimed that this work was ‘truer to Nature than most pictures’. However, he had been a friend of the visionary artists William Blake and Samuel Palmer, and there may be a more visionary quality to this scene. The theme of rural labourers at rest was familiar, but the glowing light and curious rhythms combine to create a quite original sense of monumentality.

Linnell’s poetic visions of the countryside, far detached from the sometimes harsh realities of rural life, were much sought-after by collectors. This painting is a replica, by the artist, of a work he had sold in 1862.

Gallery label, September 2004

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