View at Tintagel 1848

Samuel Palmer made this view of Tintagel using watercolor and ink. It’s a study in texture and tone. The rocky cliffs are defined with energetic lines of ink, giving them a rugged, almost geological presence. Palmer coaxes a sense of depth from the watercolor washes, particularly in the sky and the shadowed areas of the rocks. He carefully builds up the colors, creating a contrast between the light and dark areas, and lending the landscape a dramatic quality. What’s particularly interesting here is the meeting of the artist’s hand and the power of nature. Palmer uses the relative ease of watercolor to capture the enduring presence of the cliffs. His attention to the material qualities of the landscape, and his willingness to let the ink and watercolor flow, give the work a sense of immediacy and authenticity, resisting any easy separation of art and craft.