Burlington fint 9 r 1 6 C I u 6 , 1878. COLLECTED WORKS OF THE LATE JOHN SAMUEL RAVEN CATALOGUE. LONDON: PRINTED BY METCHIM AND SON, 20, PARLIAMENT STREET, S.W. 1878. 2B II 1 1 i n ff 1 IT fint 9 r t s C I ii ii , 1878. COLLECTED WORKS OF THE LATE JOHN SAMUEL RAVEN CATALOGU E LONDON: PRINTED BY METCHIM AND SON, 20, PARMAMl'.NT STREET, S.AV. 1878. COLLECTED WORKS OF THE LATE JOHN SAMUEL RAVEN NTRODUCTORY R EMARKS. OHN SAMUEL RAVEN, a collection of whose works is now on view, was born on August 21st, 1829. He was the son of the Rev. Thomas Raven, of Trinity Church, Preston. The father was an amateur artist of strong;' oriorinal orenius, as some water colour drawings now on view at the Grosvenor Gallery will sufficiently testify. It was, doubtless, the inherited genius of his father, as well as his example, which led the son to devote himself to art as a profession, and to give his special attention to landscape. As a painter he was almost self-educated, having never studied under any artist. Indeed he seems to have been indebted to his immediate predecessors for little more than occasional opportunities of observing their methods, and for such suggestions as social intercourse might afford. His earliest works too, seem to indicate that his first inspirations were due to the inlluence of an older school of artists, with whose works he is known to have been intimately acquainted at an early age. Among those to whose work he had special access, were old Cronie, Constable, and Thompson of Duddingston. Some of his earliest works here exhibited are very fairly successful essays upon the old lines and within the traditional limitations of a past school of Art. This phase, however, was not destined to last long. The induence of the new doctrines of pre-Raphaelitism made a complete revolution in his aini and method of work, and its effects are very apparent in the present exhibition. Under the new impulse, he suddenly deserted the broad and safe harmony of sober tints, and, in his search after a closer imitation of nature, launched out into more complicated and precarious effects of colouring, and a fuller elaboration of detail. The art which was competent, with the assistance of traditional aids, to deal with the simpler range of effect, was not always fully equal to the assimilation of such a wealth of fresh material as the new idea afforded, and the immediate effect of the new impulse was at least critical to the artist. Whether the chancje was on the whole advantageous, or the reverse, must be a question to be decided according to individual sympathies and idiosyncracies. It is certain that in the case of John Raven, though the change was not uniformly productive of enhanced success, the more striking and poetical products of his pencil were subsequent to this revolution in his art. But in these he has attained a level, which is superior to any school or special method, and has shown a consummate skill in realising, by original means, effects which none but a poetical mind could have conceived. Indeed, the distinguishing note of almost all his work is that it represents no mere transcript from external nature, but shows a constant effort, of whatever degree of success, to embody distinctly poetical ideas. This will probably be the impression of many to whom this exhibition will afford the first opportunity of forming an adequate estimate of the artist's high and varied endowments. He worked almost exclusively in oil-colour, having, however, shown in some occasional water-colour drawings, a few of which are included in this exhibition, with what success he might have employed another medium had he chosen. His studies in black and white too are peculiarly broad and strong in effect. He died at Harlech, in Wales, while bathing, on July 13, 1877. B. C. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/collectedworksofOOburl LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS. H.E. The Count de Bayona. W. S. Caine, Esq. Mrs. Cairns. Miss Cairns. Miss Carnegie. J. Collinson, Esq. Norman S. Cookson, Esq. Mrs. Holiday. Mrs. Jeffray. J. W. Lea, Esq. C. J. Lfavis, Es(^. Alfred Meadows, Esq., M.D. F. Melhuish, Esq. R. S. Newall, Esq. W. J. Newall, Esq. Mrs. Raven. Mrs. James Raven. Miss Raven. Rev. Milville Raven. G. H. SIMMS, Esq. Mrs. G. Simpson. , Sir Henry Thompson. G. E. Trist, Esq. J. H. Trist, Esq. CATALOGUE. No. 1— MIDSUMMER MOONLIGHT : Dew rising. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1866. Lent by R. S. Newall, Esq. No. 2.— GREEN CORN. Painted in 1858. Lent by W. J. Newall, Esq. No. 3.— "THE LESSER LIGHT TO RULE THE NIGHT:" Cerreg Cennen Castle, South Wales. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1873. Lent by W. S. Caine, Esq. No. 4.— study. Lent by Mrs. Rave: No. 5.—" GRANDE ROUTE," FONTAINEBLEAU. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1853. Lent by the Rev. MiLVILLE Ravex. No. 6.— CRAIG VINEAN : Near Dunkeld. Painted in 1868. Lent by G. E. Trlst, Esq. lO No. 7.-ASPENS IN SPRING BUD. Painted in 1876. Never exhibited. Lent by Airs. Ravex. No. 8.— ST. LEONARDS. Painted probably in 185 1. Lent by the Rev. Milville Ravex. No. 9.— VIEW ON THE THAMES: Near Old Windsor. Painted in 1852. Lent by Mrs. Jeffkay. No. 10.— A STUDY FROM NATURE. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1852. Lent by Sir Hexry Thompsox. No. 11.-" LET THE HILLS BE JOYFUL TOGETHER ; " View taken from Brathay Churchyard, Ambleside. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1874. Lent by the Rev. Milville Ravex. No. 12.— THE ROOKS' PARLIAMENT. Painted in 1858. Lent by the Rev. Milville Ravex. No. 13.-STUDY AT EASTBOURNE. 1873. Lent by Miss RavEiX. No. 14.-STUDY AT EASTBOURNE. 1873. Lent bv Miss Ravex\ 1 1 No. 15.-FRESH-FALLEN SNOW ON THE MATTERHORN. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1872. Lent by G. E. Trist, Esq. No. 16.— A SUSSEX MILL. Painted in i860. Lent by Mrs. Cairxs. No. 17.— STUDY AT EASTBOURNE. 1873. Lent by J. W. Lea, Esq. No. 18.— STUDY AT EASTBOURNE. 1873. Lent by J. W. Lea, Esq. No. 19.— THE SHADOW OF SNOWDON : " His rest shall be glorious." Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1867. Lent by Mrs. Raven. No. 20.— IN THE HIGHLANDS AFTER RAIN. Exhibited at the Dudley Gallery in 1873. Lent by Mrs. Ra\EX. No. 21.— LAGO MAGGIORE : From Stresa. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1 87 1 . Lent by F. Melhuish, Esq. No. 22.— DEER FOREST. Lent by Mrs. Raven. B 2 12 No. 23, BARFF— LORD'S SEAT FROM THE SLOPES OF SKIDDAW. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1877. Lent by Mrs. Rav,EN. No. 24.— STUDY. Lent by Mrs. Ravex. No. 25.— THE SKIRTS OF A MOUNTAIN FARM. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1862. Lent by J. H. Trist, Esq. No. 26.— A CAPTURED CLOUD. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1865. Lent by Mrs. HOLIDAY. No. 27.— THE MONK'S WALK. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1872. Lent by H. E. The Count de Bayona. No. 28.— BE ACHY HEAD. Painted in 1852. Lent by Mrs. G. SiM P.SOX. No. 29.— TWILIGHT : Figure by C. J. Lidderdale, Esq. lixhibited at the Royal Academy in i860. Lent by J. H. Tri.st, Esq. No. 30.— A SHADY PATH AMONG THE BEECH TREES : View near Buckhurst, Sussex. Painted in 1854 or 1855. Lent by C. J. Lewis, Esq. 13^ No. 31.— QUARRY, HOLME GROUND, LANCASHIRE: LANGDALE PIKES in the distance. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1875. Lent by Mrs. Raven. No. 32.— FONTAINEBLEAU. 1851. Lent by the Rev. MiLViLLE Raven. No. 33.— LAKE SCENE, i860. Lent by Mrs. Ravi:x. No. 34.— A VOICE OF JOY AND GLADNESS. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in i860. Lent by Miss Caikxs. No. 35.— SUSSEX MILL : Midsummer Afternoon. Painted in i860. Lent by the Rev. MiLViLLE Raven. No. 36.— STUDY AT EASTBOURNE. 1873. Lent by Miss RAVEN. No. 37.— THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE. Painted in 1865. Lent by J. COLLINSON, Esq. No. 38.— VIEW ON THE TAY : near Dunkcld. " Tlic south wind bears me in its flight Where the great clouds are floating white, And while the fair earth rests below. My grave, sweet fancies, upward go Over — far over the fir-topped height." Eixhibited at the Royal Academy in 1869. Lent by W. J. Newall, Esq. No. 39.—" SAINTFOIN IN BLOOM :" View near Cobham. in Kent. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1859. Lent by G. H. SiMMS, Esq. No. 40.— "THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT COMETH." Painted in 1875. Exhibited in Manchester and Liverpool. Lent by Mrs. Ravex. No. 4L— A HAMPSHIRE HOMESTEAD. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1872. Lent by Mrs. Raven. No. 42.— MAY MORNING : View near St. Leonards. Painted in 1854. Lent by Mrs. JEFFRAY. No. 43.— AUTUMN : A Glade in Eridge Park. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 185 1. Lent by Mrs. J AS. Raven. No. 44.— "THE LIGHT SEEMS HOLIER IN ITS GRAND DECLINE:" View of Loughrigg Tarn and Langdale Pikes. Painted in 1875. Unfinished. Lent by Mrs. RAVEN. No. 45.— SALMESBURY CHURCH : Near Preston. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1845, being the Artist's first exhibited work. Lent by Mrs. Raven. 15 No. 46.— STUDY FOR PICTURE OF "SAINTFOIN IN BLOOM." Painted in 1857. Lent by Mrs. Ravex. No. 47.— SOMERSETSHIRE CORN LANDS. Exhibited at the Dudley Gallery in 1869. Lent by Mrs. Ravex. No. 48.— CHERRY BLOSSOM. Painted in 1865. Lent by Miss Ravex. CARTOONS. No. 49.— STUDY FOR PICTURE OF " MIDSUMMER MOONLIGHT." Lent by NORMAN S. COOKSON, Esq. No. 50.— STUDY FOR PICTURE OF "THE SHADOW OF SNOWDON," Lent by Mrs. Raven. No. 5L— STORM AND FLOOD. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1875. Lent by Miss Carnegie. No. 52.— STUDY FOR PICTURE OF "UPPER VALLEY OF THE CONWAY." (In the possession of W. C. Hewitson, Esq.) Exhibited at the Dudley Gallery in 1874. Lent by Alfred Meadows, Esq., M.D. i6 No. 53.— STUDY FOR PICTURE OF THE MONK'S WALK. Exhibited at the Dudley Gallery in 1875. Lent by Mrs. Raven. No. 54.— WATER-COLOUR DRAWINGS— AMBLESIDE BECK. 1868. Lent by F. Melhuish, Esq.