William Shayer, Waiting For The Ferry

William Shayer, Waiting For The FerryThis charming mid 19th century oil painting by British artist William Shayer (1787 1879) depicts a river landscape with villagers waiting for a ferry. Shayer was an accomplished painter of figures and rural scenes. Several local characters including a bonneted young lady atop a white pony rest awhile as they wait for the river ferry to return. An elderly lady holds a baby swaddled in blue, while a calf tilts its head in the hope of a meal. Its a

but escaped after attacking his guards

which was derived from the French word for the back leg of an animal

he’d achieved the position of ‘Professor of Perspective’ at the Royal Academy and sought to inspire the next generation of British landscape artists

peppered with wind-swept foliage

Werner has painted the scene with expression and bold

he would copy works by the old masters and sell them locally for 7s 6d

which relates to a small village with fewer than 100 inhabitants

Løvgreen was predominantly known for his landscapes and still lifes so it’s interesting to consider why he painted this quiet interior

The Queen herself was a keen watercolourist and probably sat with Corbould often

I visited an exhibition at Worcester Art Museum during which I was overwhelmed by the extraordinary ability of this remarkable artist

Most of these were French

She was trained by the grandfather of Danish landscape painting