Wynford Dewhurst ( 1864-1941 )

Dewhurst's impressionist painting portrays a tranquil landscape with a group of trees on the left, their foliage depicted in various shades of green with speckles of light shining through. A lady dressed in pink is seated beneath the trees, providing a warm contrast to the cool greens and blues. She is making contact with a figure passing by. The foreground features a grassy area leading to a winding path, adding depth to the scene. The sky is painted with soft blues and whites, enhancing the peaceful mood. The brushwork is loose and energetic, capturing the essence of the moment rather than the fine details. This painting invites viewers to appreciate the beauty of nature and the artist’s ability to convey atmosphere through color and light.

 

 

Exhibition

 

This outstanding large painting has been painted in France on French canvas. It was exhibited In England, the original exhibition label is on stretcher verso.

Wynford Dewhurst, born Thomas Edward Smith on January 26, 1864, in Manchester, was an English Impressionist painter and a notable art theorist. Initially trained for a legal profession, Dewhurst's artistic flair led him to pursue painting after his drawings were published in journals. 

 

 

Monet

 

He changed his name by deed poll during his artistic training in France at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, under the tutelage of Jean-Léon Gérôme. Despite Gérôme's preference for a neoclassical style, Dewhurst was profoundly influenced by the Impressionists, particularly Claude Monet, to whom he dedicated his pioneering account of French Impressionism, "Impressionist Painting: its genesis and development," published in 1904. This work was the first significant study of French painters in English and argued for the British origins of Impressionism, crediting artists like John Constable and J. M. W. Turner. 

 

 

Building a bridge

 

Dewhurst's thesis was controversial, as it challenged the widely held belief that Impressionism was inherently French, a view not shared by French painters such as Pissarro. 

 

Dewhurst's career included exhibitions at the Society of British Artists, the New English Art Club, and the Royal Academy of Arts. His most famous work, "The Picnic" (1908), is housed in the Manchester Art Gallery. Dewhurst's legacy is that of a bridge between British and French art, a proponent of Impressionism's British roots, and a passionate advocate for the recognition of British contributions to this art movement.