Who painted Moorland Scene, Showery Effect?

Moorland Scene, Showery Effect was painted by David Cox in 1854.

Where can I see Moorland Scene, Showery Effect?

Moorland Scene, Showery Effect is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is Moorland Scene, Showery Effect?

Moorland Scene, Showery Effect is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of Moorland Scene, Showery Effect?

Museum-quality prints of Moorland Scene, Showery Effect are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Moorland Scene, Showery Effect

David Cox , 1854

Moorland Scene, Showery Effect is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist David Cox. It dates from 1854 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

David Cox the elder’s 1854 watercolour, *Moorland Scene, Showery Effect*, presents a broad, mist‑laden moor under a pale sky. The composition stretches across a gently undulating horizon, where a small group of figures occupies the foreground, their presence hinting at human activity amid the open landscape.

Subject & Meaning

In the distance three figures are discernible: a solitary individual leaning on a walking stick and a pair seated within a modest cart. Their placement within the expansive moor suggests a fleeting encounter between people and the natural world, emphasizing transience and the quiet endurance of rural life.

Technique & Style

Cox employs loose, rapid brushwork that softens forms and merges sky with hill, creating a hazy, atmospheric effect. The watercolour’s muted palette and fluid strokes convey a sense of immediacy, as if the scene were captured in a brief, weather‑laden moment before the light dissipates.

History & Provenance

Signed and dated by the artist, the work reflects Cox’s mature period in the mid‑nineteenth century, when he focused on plein‑air studies of the English countryside. The piece has been part of public collections, including display at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it is referenced among comparable landscape watercolours.

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Artist & collection

Artist

David Cox

David Cox (29 April 1783 – 7 June 1859) was an English landscape painter, one of the most important members of the Birmingham School of landscape artists and an early precursor of Impressionism.