A good sized watercolour by the artist George Robert Rushton, a noted and well regarded watercolourist. The picture shows a group of young cattle released onto a moor, gathering to drink at a water trough. The quality of the work is wonderful, the landscape is rendered in a loose style reminiscent of Newlyn and the Staithes group of artists, with a concentration on light and mood, rather than realism. The capture of the cows drinking as a group is also charmingly captured, and the whole image has a pre great war feel of peace and tranquillity. The image is retained in it's original frame and mounted but unfortunately, it has been remounted at the back and the framer has not retained the original back, which almost certainly would have had a title and perhaps an exhibition label, as pictures of this size by the artist where done for exhibitions. I do believe the frame to be the original as it works exceptionally well with the work and is exactly of the right period. The piece overall is a charming work, with a delightful feeling of calm and beauty about it, it is a good size and in excellent condition. C.1900
George Robert Rushton was born in Birmingham in 1869, he studied in Birmingham and London, and during his career moved around widely,, exhibited works show his address to be Birmingham 1894, Newcastle on Tyne 1896, Pyton on Tyne 1902, Ipswich Sufflok 1911, Blewbury Berks 1928, Debham Essex 1937. He was almost exclusively a watercolourist and tended towards landscapes, but also undertook decorative work. He was made associate of the Royal Society of British Artist in 1922 and full member in 1938, he was elected to the Royal Society of Artist, Birmingham in 1925, and to the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour in 1929. As can be seen from his movements he travelled widely not only here, but also on the continent, he was always a well regarded artist, especially in the areas which he lived and recorded, and has works hanging in theLaing, Art Gallery Newcastle, he is recorded as having died in 1947, and almost certainly work up till his death, his list of exhibited works is below:
The Royal Societ of Artists, Birmingham 80
Dudley Gallery 2
Fine Art Society 45
Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts 2
Walker Gallery Liverpool 10
The Royal Academy 25
Royal Society of British Artists 79
Royal Cambrian Academy 1
Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours 71
overall sizes in inches37 1/4 wide
28 high