Dimensions: support: 375 x 447 mm
Copyright: © The estate of Kenneth Rowntree | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: This is Kenneth Rowntree's "Cornish Landscape" from the Tate. It's a modest-sized painting, seemingly straightforward, but the longer I look, the more I see a dreamlike stillness, a silent symphony of greens and browns. What do you make of it? Curator: The beauty, for me, lies in that very stillness you mention. Rowntree captures the quiet dignity of the everyday. It's a very British sensibility, wouldn't you say? The red gate is also curious, isn’t it? Editor: Yes, the gate is a bold choice! Is that an anchor for the entire picture? Curator: Perhaps. Maybe it keeps our eyes and minds from wandering too far into that expansive landscape. It’s a gentle reminder to appreciate the here and now. I feel a sense of being tethered. Editor: It's intriguing how such a simple scene can evoke such complex feelings. Thanks for your insights! Curator: Absolutely! It has given me some thought, too.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/rowntree-cornish-landscape-t03934
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Kenneth Rowntree was born in Yorkshire and studied at the Ruskin School in Oxford and the Slade School in London. He was later appointed lecturer at the Royal College of Art and Professor in Fine Art at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. 'Cornish Landscape' was painted in the artist's studio in Putney after a visit to Cornwall. Rowntree said that in this work he attempted to bring together elements which he felt to be 'essentially Cornish'. The painting's abstract qualities, such as the pattern of the fields, reflect his admiration for the work of Ben Nicholson. In subseqent years, Rowntree's interest in Cubist and Constructivist methods inspired his inventive use of geometric forms and collage. Gallery label, September 2004
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