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The Week reviews an exhibition in a private gallery Kenneth Rowntree at the Fry Art Gallery |
Kenneth Rowntree (1915-1997), whose work is celebrated in this centenary
exhibition, was born into a family of Yorkshire Quakers, and was best known
for his paintings of landscapes; buildings, boats and interiors – many
commissioned by the Government for its “Recording Britain” project during
the Second World War. At first glance, his work has much in common with that
of his better-known friend and contemporary Eric Ravilious. Although many of
his paintings from the 1940s are perhaps too greatly influenced by the whimsical
stylings that informed British art of the era, Rowntree was always inventive,
and as this exhibition proves, often thrilling. The real revelation here is his
modernist-inflected late work, painted after he was appointed professor of fine
art at Newcastle University. It is experimental, but retains all the character that
made his earlier paintings so compelling and distinctive.
Prices range from £450 to £18,000.
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Castle Street, Saffron Walden, Essex |
Winter Garden Acomb |
