- 280
George Barret, R.A.
Description
- George Barret, R.A.
- An extensive wooded river landscape, with shepherds reclining in the foreground and ruins beyond
- oil on canvas
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
In his early period in Ireland, George Barret brought to perfection a highly original variant of the classic landscape tradition. This previously unpublished painting is among the most distinguished examples surviving in this category. It dates from the artist's years in Dublin, before his style was to change dramatically after his move to England.
Perhaps what makes Barret's work of the early 1760's so distinctive and, indeed, so distinctly Irish, is the fact that it is based on direct observation of the scenery of his native land, but at the same time adheres to the schema of classical landscape painting as exemplified by seventeenth-century artists such as Claude. Indeed, as a young artist, Barret had copied the work of Claude, in a commission for Samuel Madden; he also worked in a distinctively classical idiom in the important series of paintings for the Earl of Miltown at Russborough (now National Gallery of Ireland). The surprising influence of an engraving by Piranesi showing the late antique Temple at Clituno appears in one of his most notable works executed in Ireland (Private Collection).
However, while Barret was certainly influenced by the art of the past and alludes to it in a sophisticated, sometimes almost knowing, fashion, it is the beauty of the Irish countryside which underpins his landscape vision. Barret acknowledged these twin sources of inspiration, writing in advice to a young artist: 'paint from nature not forgetting art at the same time' and as a young man he sketched extensively in the Wicklow demesne of Lord Powerscourt.
This large and ambitious canvas amply demonstrates Barret's understanding of the classical tradition with its careful massing of foliage and open vista into the distance. However, unlike the Clituno picture, here the ruins are generic and are a pleasing feature in the landscape rather than an attempt to specifically stamp the scene as Italian. The open and highly decorative panorama is effectively balanced by the figures in the foreground. The verdure is redolent of Barret's native land, rather than the Italian campagna. It is a very pleasing combination of the Irish and the classical. As Professor Crookshank and the Knight of Glin have noted, Barret was a fully formed and highly accomplished artist before he departed for London and this work is a significant addition to the recognized oeuvre of his Irish period.