William Henry Crome, River Nocturne With Windmills

William Henry Crome, River Nocturne With WindmillsThis mid 19th century oil painting by British artist William Henry Crome (1806 1873) depicts a winding river view by moonlight. A tired windmill, its blades battered by the elements, stands like an homage to the old Dutch Masters. Above, a gentle glow emanates from a partially obscured moon. It could be the low countries, a view in Dordrecht, but its probably based upon a sketch in Norfolk. The flat agricultural scenery punctuated by waterways.

/ in Copenhagen at the author 1786

“One of the things to see here is the house of Mr

Given the consistent nature of the artwork

It’s likely they initially trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and later perhaps at the Kunstnernes Frie Studieskoler

but they were clearly influenced by the strong British tradition for romantic landscape painting

This technique gives the scene depth and pulls us closer towards it

culminating in a hazy array of gentle tints

Signed in the lower right and housed within a fine Rococo revival frame

it wasn’t an easy path for her

The result is a varied array of unusual portrayals depicting an amalgamation of ideologies

It’s poignant that to craft such a piece

which is three months after this portrait had been completed