Ravilious at Dulwich

    In London last weekend, we combined a day at Lord's for the Ashes test with a visit to Dulwich Picture Gallery for the Eric Ravilious watercolours exhibition. I enjoyed both, but no prizes for guessing which was rather more my cup of tea.

    Go and see the Ravilious if you get the chance; the video above gives a flavour, and below are two of my top favourite paintings.

    The Greenhouse: Cyclamen and Tomatoes, 1935

    James Russell, in Ravilious in Pictures: Sussex and the Downs, says of this: "As yellow tomatoes ripen on the vine above, twin lines of cyclamen in orange pots draw us through one open doorway then another, until we are faced by the final, closed door, so pale and faint it seems to float just above the centre of the picture... This greenhouse pulls us into an intense interior world."

    Wet Afternoon, 1938 - my kind of weather.

    Pentreath & Hall (among others) are selling prints of this, and Little Toller have used it for the cover of Gilbert White's The Natural History of Selborne.

Comments

[Claire]

I was there in June and loved this exhibition. There's just so much to see in these paintings. I was tempted to buy the catalogue and I'm very pleased that I did. I have it open in the kitchen, leave it for a few days and then turn to another fascinating picture.

[Cornflower]

I loved it, too, Claire. We bought the Sussex book rather than the full catalogue, but I think I'll get the latter as well.

[Dark Puss]

Do go and see the marvellous Barbara Hepworth at Tate Britain when you are next in London; absolutely fabulous!

[Anne B-A]

I too went to the Ravilious exhibition recently and absolutely loved it. You are completely correct in your observation that Ravilious 'draws you in' with his paintings. There is a real intimacy about them that is very appealing. A once in a lifetime opportunity I felt and worth the effort from Edinburgh! Barbara Hepworth is also on my radar - just planning my escape!

[Mary]

You've got to love a gallery with a mulberry tree!

[Sam]

We were invited to a birthday party there a few weeks ago but arrived too late to see the pictures sadly. It's a lovely place and it was a good party but I was sorry not to see Ravilious. Lovely to see these pics.

[Fran H-B]

Loved the exhibition too. I live close to "Ravilious country" in East Sussex. Often when out walking, especially in the winter I look at the countryside around me, thinking "Ravilious fields", His use of light was amazing. It captured the beautiful bare folds of the Downs in a way so unique.

[Swissrose]

Lovely - the soothing colours, light and especially, the geometry, of Ravilious' style. I may well see if the catalogue is available!
There's something solid and slightly naïve about the style that I like, reminding me I enjoy Brian Cook Batsford's illustrations, too, though this is more ethereal at the same time. Time for more investigation.

[Rose]

Outstanding exhibition.....