Description
This tranquil Victorian-era landscape painting titled “Homewards” by Henry H. Parker depicts a lush rendition of the English countryside at dawn, with a lone man walking his horse down a country path toward home. Housed in a giltwood frame and signed on the lower right corner by the artist.
Henry Hillingford Parker (1858-1930) was an English artist working at the end of the Victorian Era who is best remembered for his paintings of the English countryside. He was born in London in 1858 and lived there for most of his life. He attended the St. Martins School of Art and also studied at one of the Royal Academy schools. He worked for a time as an illustrator at the Illustrated London News but spent most of his career working for private galleries. Parker’s style shows a great influence by the Impressionists, through his use of bright colors and quick brush strokes, but combined with a thorough understanding of Academic principles and technique.
This gorgeous piece resides in an ornate Louis XIV Régence style frame with foliate details, center and corner foliate rocaille cartouches, and exterior beaded trim. In the early 18th century the Louis XIV styles blended into the Régence frame style (c.1715-1723) which placed greater emphasis on the corners and centers. The full Regency style was both opulent and delicate, with the order and linearity of this period giving way to the swirling delicacy of the Rococo.
Parker’s landscapes are lush and serene, teeming with idyllic country life. His paintings are well composed and seek to capture the landscape in its most pure and natural state, as seen in this sun-kissed scene. This painting is detailed with birds in the sky, a family of ducks in a small pond, and reflections of the sky skimming the puddles along the path. An opportunity to bring the pastoral to any interior, this landscape would be a charming addition to a home library, kitchen, or entryway.
With Frame H=31.5 in. W=43.5 in. D=2.5 in. 25 lbs.
