pen and black ink, coloured crayon and watercolour, heightened with white, with scratching out,16 x 21¾ in. (40.7 x 55.2 cm.)
13 April 1991.
4 Toujours Provence 'The forest became thicker and the track narrower'
pen and black ink, coloured crayon and watercolour heightened with white, 16 7/8 x 21 5/8 in. (42.6 x 55.2 cm.)
20 April 1991.
(Photographed from the original artwork)
'Going native'
27th April 1991
1 comment:
It's unusual to see Searle take on a serious illustration assignment as late as 1991. I assume that because the subject was Peter Mayle's Provence, Searle was able to take his sketchbook out locally to draw, as he did back in the days of Looking at London or Paris Sketchbook. As a result, the horse and carriage feel convincingly solid. The dog, for once, is a real dog and not a fanciful studio creation. Searle's usually ornate stylistic elements are subdued, as is his palette. The overall result is technically precise and deliberately low in energy, at least for Searle. I'm curious about which of these creative decisions were part of, say, an art director's instructions, and which were made by Searle himself to fit the mood of Mayle's words.
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