Sheep, Cows, and Herdsman by Uprooted Tree 1802 - 1856

Curator: I find this watercolor quite charming, though tinged with melancholy. Editor: Oh, tell me about it. Curator: This is “Sheep, Cows, and Herdsman by Uprooted Tree” by Frederick Nash. It’s estimated to have been created between 1802 and 1856 and is currently held here at The Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: Melancholy is the word. See how the eye is drawn to the massive, uprooted tree dominating the foreground? The contorted roots reaching upwards, lifelessly? It throws a long shadow both literally and figuratively. It unbalances the picture plane creating a contrast to the idealized countryside usually depicted. Curator: I appreciate your reading of the visual tension. Nash was working during a period of great agricultural change in England. The seemingly idyllic scene—the grazing sheep, distant village— masks a time of enclosure, of displacement for many rural communities. The fallen tree then could symbolize the disruption of traditional ways of life. Editor: A visual representation of social unrest, you suppose? That shepherd in the lower right seems to turn away from that bucolic backdrop of contented grazing. It begs the question, where is he headed? What will the community make of his efforts in turn? The painting raises these interesting tensions rather than resolving it by adhering to a peaceful country setting. Curator: Indeed, the somber tones also lend themselves to that reading. The watercolor technique itself is remarkable, with the washes creating a sense of atmosphere and dampness. Notice the delicate rendering of light on the foliage of the other, living trees, and the stark contrast in light and shadow on the fallen one. It’s quite a sophisticated use of the medium to create a powerful effect. Editor: Agreed. The painting, as a structure, reinforces an idea of shifting cultural tensions in British history that certainly comes through, aided by its impressive use of detail and composition. It has staying power. Curator: Well said. A fittingly unresolved scene of enduring resonance.