Watermill with Hills Beyond

Date made: 1884-1933

Artist: Knox, Archibald

Description: A colourful but muted watercolour by Archibald Knox (1864-1933) of the side of a watermill and outbuilding. Although the outbuilding would probably have been whitewashed, Knox has shown that objects are rarely white but reflect the colours around them. As a result the building has been painted in a variety of cool blue greys that contrast with the yellow of the landscape and warmer red of the watermill. Although the buildings and surrounding hills have been painted as solid blocks of colour, the waterwheel itself and the distant trees have been painted as faint shadows in the picture. The artist is said to have painted his watercolour scenes in a few hours or less, but that he would also sit for hours waiting for the exact light and cloud formations that he wanted to paint.

Measurements: artwork: 41 cm x 55 cm

Materials: watercolour on paper

Photograph and description courtesy of Manx National Heritage via the link at imuseum.im.