View of Windsor from the River by Alfred Gomersal Vickers

View of Windsor from the River c. 19th century

drawing

toned paper

water colours

possibly oil pastel

coloured pencil

coffee painting

england

watercolour bleed

watercolour illustration

botanical art

watercolor

warm toned green

Alfred Gomersal Vickers's "View of Windsor from the River" is a delicate watercolor that captures the serenity of the Thames River and Windsor Castle. The artist, a 19th-century British painter, was known for his landscape works, often depicting the English countryside. The composition features a soft, muted palette, creating a sense of peace and tranquility. The castle, a prominent landmark in the background, is depicted in detail, while the foreground focuses on the river and its gentle reflections, adding to the picturesque quality of the scene. The watercolor is currently held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Today’s fans of Royal gossip will immediately recognize this as Windsor Castle and may think of it as a marvelous example of Gothic fortification. However, when Alfred Vickers painted this watercolor, the castle was a recently rebuilt and expanded fantasyland ordered by King George IV from architect Jeffry Wyatville. The large round tower and many of the subsidiary towers were heightened. Whether it was a restoration or a ruination is a matter of opinion. In any case, the project ran more than 200% over budget. Alfred Vickers specialized in painting landscapes. In the mid-1830s, his career was on the upswing, but he died at age 26. Neither the artist nor the King survived to see the Windsor project completed.