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Forest Cove, Cardigan Bay
John Brett was a London painter best known for his scenes of rural life. Early in his career he shared many of the values of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, especially their intense colour range and obsession with truth to nature. From the 1870s Brett specialised in British coastal scenes. During the summer months he cruised his yacht ‘Viking’ with his wife and seven children along the coasts of Wales, Cornwall and Scotland. He made detailed geographical and botanical sketches and probably took photographs, from which landscapes were subsequently painted back in the studio. Forest Cove, now known as Aberfforest, lies to the east of Dinas head, the rocky peninsula which forms the eastern end of Fishguard Bay. Here Brett pays particular attention here to the structure of the rock formations, revealing an interest in geology. He wrote that Pembrokeshire was the ‘only one really satisfactory seaside place on the whole British coast’.
Comments - (5)
Thank you for your comment Brian, we are pleased that you enjoyed the catalogue and that you are impressed with John Brett Forest Cove, Cardigan Bay. The work is currently in store and I am afraid we are unable to put it on display for next week. Due to our busy exhibition and loan programme gallery changes are programmed months in advance and the Victorian Gallery has just been rehung to display some of our Turner watercolours. We can arrange for you to see the work in store but we do ask for a minimum of two weeks notice to arrange these appointments. The Victorian Gallery does include a work by Brett and other works that were part of the 'Pastures Green and Dark Satanic Mills' exhibition. We hope you enjoy your visit on Tuesday!
I have just purchased 'Pastures Green and Dark Satanic Mills' and have found it wonderfully informative. In addition to the quite spectacular Turner watercolours, I was also especially impressed by the wonderfully bright 'Forest Cove, Cardigan Bay', by John Brett, a painting unfamiliar to me. I am bringing a small group of friends to the museum this Tuesday and wondered if there would be any chance of finding a position for this painting in the Victorian Gallery.
Brian Armstrong Volunteer Guide
Thank you very much for your enquiry. Your painting sounds very interesting. I would be very grateful if you could send us a photograph of it (digital or printed). Usually we can tell you a certain amount just from an image, and then say whether we need to examine the object itself. For that, we might ask you to make an appointment or to come to one of our
I would appreciate any comments from you, as I trust a National Museum so much more than auction houses and art dealers and am unsure what to do with it at the moment!