George III Rides Away

The figure on the horse is George III riding away from Weymouth. The story goes that during a stay in the early 1800s he promised to give the town a substantial amount of money, so much that they carved a dedication in the local church with his name and a blank space for the exact amount, and gave a promise to carve a likeness on the hills rising behind the town. Unfortunately, he left leaving nothing. The locals were so angry they carved £000 after his name in the church and did indeed complete a likeness on the hills, but made it so he was riding away from the town (back to London).

Liz Somerville / The Rowley Gallery

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Windsor’s Great Park

The enormous equestrian statue of George III looking down over Windsor Castle from the top of Snow Hill, pointing out incoming aeroplanes on their way to Heathrow. Continue reading “Windsor’s Great Park”

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Gorgeous Georgians

Jazmin Velasco brought us these gouache portrait paintings of some of her Georgian heros and heroines. She’s framed them in pressed metal frames from Mexico, frames more often used for painted votive offerings to the saints (see also Mexican Miracle Paintings). Reading left to right and top to bottom they are Duke of Wellington; George Frideric Handel; Queen Charlotte; Georgina, Duchess of Devonshire; Lord Nelson and King George III. They would make very good miniature pub signs for very good miniature pubs. Here’s a link to what Jazmin wrote when she painted them.

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At The Beach With Giotto (In Mind)

As a painter of beaches, when I saw the Giotto frescoes at the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua I was struck by how much parts of it resemble pools of water with angels swimming about in them. The azure of the ceiling and pale cerulean and pinky golds of the chapel walls look to me like a deep plunge pool flanked by sandy cliffs. Continue reading “At The Beach With Giotto (In Mind)”

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Brangwyn’s Frieze No More

Three carved wooden panels made by Sir Frank Brangwyn for the facade of The Rowley Gallery in 1933 were destroyed in a fire last week at Chilford Hall. They had been part of The Rowley Gallery showroom until 1941, when the premises were hit by an incendiary bomb during WW2, but amazingly they survived that blaze only to be lost to arsonists 71 years later. Continue reading “Brangwyn’s Frieze No More”

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Above & Beyond

This striking mandala-like collection of foliage was a recent visitor to our workshop. As the winner of the Blake Prize (an Australian art prize in honour of William Blake) it had been on a world tour and its frame was in need of some TLC. It is Above & Beyond by Janine Mackintosh, made from Eucalyptus leaves, linen thread and bookbinder’s gum on canvas and it measures 120 x 120 centimetres. It reminded me of another circular piece that I often see on my way into work each day. Continue reading “Above & Beyond”

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