Brotherswater c. 1900

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print, woodblock-print, woodcut

print

landscape

woodblock-print

woodcut

Dimensions: 14 1/16 × 7 1/8 in. (35.72 × 18.1 cm) (image)15 5/8 × 8 5/8 in. (39.69 × 21.91 cm) (sheet)

Frank Morley Fletcher crafted "Brotherswater" with a woodcut, presenting us with a scene where flat, bold colors meet a composition of serene contemplation. The interplay of greens in the field and the textured hillside immediately draws the eye, while the subtle blues and grays of the sky offer a muted contrast. Note how Fletcher organizes the landscape into distinct horizontal bands. The foreground, occupied by figures overlooking the scene, leads to a middle ground of lush fields and a winding river. This is followed by the imposing hill and sky, each layer contributing to a sense of depth and perspective, yet the flatness of color flattens this somewhat, bringing attention to the surface of the paper. Fletcher's use of color is not merely descriptive; it serves to structure the space and guide our gaze through the composition. Consider how this formal arrangement invites us to reflect on the relationship between observer and environment, viewer and artwork. Art, here, serves as an invitation to interpret rather than a declaration of fixed meaning.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart over 1 year ago

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These two intrepid hikers are catching their breath in England’s Lake District, which today encompasses 885 square miles. Frank Morley Fletcher grew up just south of this area, in Lancashire, and may have ambled in this very spot. The water below is part of Brotherswater, a small lake originally called Broad Water but renamed in the 1800s after two brothers died there. Fletcher made use of the vertical “pillar” format found in Japanese prints, a sign of his affinity for Japanese color woodblock printmaking techniques, which he practiced and championed throughout his career. The swaths of flat color are hallmarks of such prints, as are the diagonal lines and our high vantage point. Fletcher painstakingly carved one of the blocks—he liked using cherry—to add detail to Brotherswater but decided to skip the black outlines in the sky, instead letting the shapes speak for themselves. This was a daring departure from Japanese practice and an example of the experimentation Fletcher and his followers went on to do.