Dimensions: support: 96 x 325 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: Here we have Thomas Stothard's "Bramble with Blackberries," housed right here at the Tate. Stothard lived from 1755 to 1834, and while the specific date of this piece is unknown, it gives an interesting glimpse into his botanical interests. Editor: It feels delicate, almost ephemeral. The muted greens and browns give it a quiet, reflective mood, like a secret found on a woodland walk. It feels almost like a study. Curator: Well, Stothard was known for his book illustrations, so it could very well have been a study, maybe even for a larger work. There's a fascinating tension between its scientific observation and a more romantic interpretation of nature. Editor: I agree. It’s not just about documentation; it’s about capturing the essence, the feeling of a bramble thicket bursting with ripe blackberries. Curator: Ultimately, it reflects the broader cultural interest in natural history during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Editor: Seeing this, I just want to find a quiet place and sketch something similar myself. Curator: It is a testament to the power of observation and the beauty found in the everyday.
Comments
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/stothard-bramble-with-blackberries-t09934
Join the conversation
Join millions of artists and users on Artera today and experience the ultimate creative platform.
Thomas Stothard made many illustrations and other images involving figures. However, this sensitive watercolour shows that he was also concerned to sketch from life. Stothard’s first biographer called him ‘an indefatigable student from nature’. He even went on walks with the young John Constable, during which both men sketched, and Stothard caught butterflies for his collection. Constable is said to have remarked that these walks were Stothard’s ‘chief relaxation… from the drudgery of working for the publishers’. By contrast, Blake almost never drew from nature, and was rarely interested in producing landscapes or still-lives. Gallery label, August 2004
CollectMore like this
