John W. Morris (united Kingdom, 1865-1924), Cows On Pasture

John W. Morris (United Kingdom, 1865-1924)

Cows on pasture

Oil on canvas, cm 91 x 69

John William Morris is a British artist best known for his landscape paintings and animal scenes, set in the picturesque region of the Scottish Highlands, one of the most fascinating in the whole of the UK. Often, the protagonists of his paintings are the Highlander cows, a typical breed of that area which is characterized by long and shaggy hair and horns with development in lyra. True symbol of the Highlands, and more generally of the Scottish territory, these animals catalyze the attention of Morris, who in his works, from the great commercial success since the end of the nineteenth century, makes them protagonists. The genre of landscape is one of the most popular in 19th century English painting. The theme is interpreted by 19th century British artists in various ways: from the idyllic and archaic landscape of classical tradition to the romantic one, mirror of the artist’s feelings and his conception of the world, which is rooted in the desire for expressive authenticity and thematic freedom. In the middle of the century, in Great Britain as in most other European states, a realistic type of landscape emerges, based on the most faithful representation of nature and its atmospheric and seasonal changes made possible by the practice of painting en plein air. British artists are also stimulated by contemporary discoveries that take place mainly in the French context (the first exhibition of the Impressionists in France in 1874 is held in the workshop of the photographer Nadar): they, in the light of recent innovations introduced in pictorial field, experiment new points of view, new techniques, different perspectives with changed sensitivities that go beyond the simple sight, often landing in a new and fascinating vision.