Art Blogging: Walter Langley

Walter Langley (1852-1922) was a British painter of the Newlyn School, a late 19th Century movement focused on rural life in West Cornwall. Prominent artists of this movement included Stanhope Forbes and Frank Bramley.

Langley was born and apprenticed in Birmingham. He arrived in Newyln in 1882 and composed large watercolor works of life in that fishing village. Langley was among the most successful of the Newlyn artists and was particularly popular in Italy.

You may have noticed that in art I prize, above all, technical skill. A successful artist must be able to convey the image in his mind onto the canvas. I subscribe to the Giuliani Standard of Art, as the former Mayor of New York City put it, "If I can do it, it isn't art."

To wit: Walter Langley. His photorealism is astonishing. Langley so accurately creates the image of a fishing village that his paintings almost smell of tuna. I'll show you want I a mean. Click on When the Boats Are Away for a larger view and inhale.

Apparently this older fisherman has decided to take the day off, to the dismay of his wife.
Click on this picture for a larger view and you'll see what I'm talking about. This is Waiting for the Boats. Each woman here has a particular personality, and you can sense what kind of relationship she has with her husband as she waits for his return.