Sunday, August 11, 2013

Quote for the day: So close you could almost touch the seashells

"Near Arundel," by Copley Fielding (not the painting described, but nice anyway)
"As it happened, my attention was caught by hearing two gentlemen close to me discuss a beautiful sketch by Copley Fielding, if I recollect rightly, which hung on the wall--a wild waste of tidal sands, with here and there a line of stake-nets fluttering in the wind--a grey shroud of rain sweeping up from the westward, through which low red cliffs glowed dimly in the rays of the setting sun--a train of horses and cattle splashing slowly through shallow desolate pools and creeks, their wet, red, and black hides glittering in one long line of level light.

"They seemed thoroughly conversant with art: and as I listened to their criticisms, I learnt more in five minutes about the characteristics of  really true and good pictures, and about the perfection to which our unrivalled English landscape-painters have attained, than I ever did from all the books and criticisms which I had read....The tragedy, the art of the picture, the simple, dreary grandeur of the scenery, took possession of me; and I stood gazing a long time, and fancying myself pacing the sands, and wondering whether there were shells upon it--I had often longed for once only in my life to pick up shells..."  ~~ Charles Kingsley, Alton Locke

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