A Woodcock 1927

Archibald Thorburn's 'A Woodcock' is a watercolour – a tricky medium, no room for error! You really have to know what you’re doing, and Thorburn clearly did. The way he layers these delicate washes to build up the bird's plumage is amazing. Look at the detail around its wing, each feather carefully placed, but the overall effect is soft, almost dreamlike. The texture of the bird pops out against the green and brown undergrowth behind. I am thinking about how the eye is drawn to a central point, but the composition of the background is essential in creating a wider mood of depth. The leaves and grasses are looser, gestural, like a memory of a forest rather than a photographic record. It reminds me of some of the Pre-Raphaelites, Millais or Hunt, but with a kind of quietness, a stillness. It’s the kind of painting that makes you want to slow down, breathe deep, and really look. It’s a conversation, a careful observation of the natural world.