Apple Blossoms in the Upper Wye 1903

Editor: Here we have Henry William Banks Davis’s “Apple Blossoms in the Upper Wye” painted in 1903. The sheep really dominate the foreground for me, and it makes me think of an idyllic pastoral scene. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's interesting you note the dominance of the sheep. From a formalist perspective, the success of this piece resides more subtly in its deployment of visual textures and their relation to the overall composition. Notice how the blossoms are not rendered with photorealistic detail, but with small, gestural brushstrokes that suggest their delicate nature. Do you see how these textural elements impact the overall feeling? Editor: Yes, I see. They aren’t really distinct flowers but kind of impressionistic blobs of white. Is that why the sheep feel more ‘real’ to me? Curator: Precisely. The contrast in the rendering of sheep and blossoms serves to draw our attention not only to the surface textures but also to their symbolic opposition. Sheep are, well, sheep. But the blossom... note the contrast between the rough wool and ephemeral flowers; the one weighted, the other fleeting. Do you pick up how the texture amplifies the effect of their symbolic role? Editor: I hadn't considered that. It makes sense; the rough against the delicate, and the blossoms signal to the viewer the transition of seasons and passage of time. I guess that is reinforced by the oil paint medium that will surely outlast the actual blossoms! Curator: Yes, you have got it. By considering these qualities and relationships we understand the composition on a new level. Editor: Absolutely, considering the construction gives us a much richer sense of it all. I’ll remember to look beyond just what is presented in the scene to how it's all presented.