Dimensions: support: 268 x 174 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Here we have Elizabeth Forbes' "Volendam, Holland, from the Zuidende," housed at Tate Britain. It’s a small oil painting, and I find the subdued colors really evoke a sense of quiet rural life. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It feels like a memory, doesn’t it? The way Forbes uses these gentle strokes and almost hazy tones... it’s less about perfect representation and more about capturing a feeling, a specific atmosphere. I wonder, do you get a sense of the artist's presence in this place? Editor: Absolutely. The viewpoint feels intimate, like we're standing right beside her. It's as if she's inviting us into her personal experience of Volendam. Curator: Precisely! And maybe that’s the real heart of it: not just a scene, but a shared moment in time. Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way. I'll definitely look at it differently now!
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/forbes-volendam-holland-from-the-zuidende-t04171
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Volendam is a small fishing village near Amsterdam. The 17th-century Hervormde church can be seen in the distance, and beyond that, the masts of ships moored in the harbour. Volendam was popular with artists in the 19th century. Forbes made several trips to the area. Inspired by French impressionist artists, she liked to paint everyday scenes outdoors. Forbes was a Canadian and exhibited internationally. She lived in Newlyn in Cornwall, where she was a leading member of the Newlyn School and co-founded an art school. Gallery label, September 2020
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