Circle of Thomas Barker of Bath, British 1769-1847- A wooded landscape on the edge of a lake; oil on canvas, 63.5 x 76.5 cm. Provenance: Private Collection, UK. Note: This artist's skilled execution of a romanticised lake-side landscape is likely...

Circle of Thomas Barker of Bath, British 1769-1847- A wooded landscape on the edge of a lake; oil on canvas, 63.5 x 76.5 cm. Provenance: Private Collection, UK. Note: This artist's skilled execution of a romanticised lake-side landscape is likely influenced by the landscape compositions of Thomas Barker of Bath, who would at times similarly adopt unusual close-cropped vantage points, rather than the sweeping views more typical of the likes of Richard Wilson (1713-1782) a century earlier (see 'Hampton Rocks, Morning' by Thomas Barker held by the Victoria Gallery, Bath, no.BATVG:P:1985.1). The present work portrays a distant vista, yet viewed from a foreground area rendered immediately in front of the viewer, thus serving to invite the audience into the natural world. The prominent central rock is an unusual compositional device which both vertically splits the landscape in two between the foreground and distant landscape, and animates the otherwise relatively static scene.
Relined. Cleaned, revarnished and retouched. The canvas is taut on the stretcher and sits well in the frame. Some settled craquelure. A few areas of slightly more heightened craquelure with associated minor losses of paint, including in the lower left corner to the right of the small tree, in the upper left corner in the tree foliage, and two small flaked losses in the central tree foliage upper centre. Some minor marks and surface dirt. The areas of impasto remain, and the painted details are well preserved. Even varnish and fresh colours. Under UV lamp, extensive heightening and retouching to areas in the tree foliage, ground and sky (see images). Overall in good retouched condition. Not examined out of frame.