This online exhibition combines content from two past RAMM shows: ‘Masters of the Moor: William and FJ Widgery’ in 2013 and ‘Dartmoor a Wild and Wondrous Region’
The nature and moor landscape painters, William and FJ Widgery lived and worked in Devon throughout their careers. Both men drew life-long inspiration from the landscape of Devon and, above all, from Dartmoor.
William Widgery (1826-1893) was entirely self-taught and developed an atmospheric style well suited to large-scale work. By contrast, his son, FJ (1861-1942), received formal art training at home and abroad. His more precise draughtsmanship was ideal for small-scale work and illustration.
Though high-spirited and sociable, William seems to have been totally dedicated to painting. FJ however, found time to be involved in Exeter politics and the running of the museum.
William Widgery (1826-1893)
William Widgery was born in North Molton where his father was a farm labourer. He came to Exeter as a young man and at first worked as a builder. In his spare time he copied paintings by famous Victorian artists such as Sir Edwin Landseer. His paintings were exhibited by local art dealers and by the landlords of local inns.
Favourable newspaper reviews helped him gain commissions from farmers and landowners such as Lord Poltimore and Sir Stafford Northcote. Most of these were for portraits of animals such as prize-winning sheep or favourite horses or dogs. However, by the early 1860s he was producing pure landscape paintings. Dartmoor was his major inspiration, especially the area around Lydford where in 1880 he built a house and studio.
“Widgery had no instruction from any man…he painted what he saw with Nature his only master…It is impossible to say that ‘Widgery is of the school of So- and So’, although at the present time all the young painters in Exeter are copying him”
George Pycroft, Art in Devonshire, published in 1883
A self-taught artist, William was praised by critics for his handling of colour and the atmospheric quality of his work in both oil and watercolour. He often worked on a large scale. Described as “a man of exuberant animal spirits, bright, witty, abounding in anecdote, a perfect master of merry quips and repartee”, he appears to have been as popular as his paintings.
One of William’s greatest patrons in Exeter was Kent Kingdon, a founder of RAMM, who purchased many of his oils and watercolours and bequeathed a number of them to the museum in 1892.
Frederick John Widgery (1861-1942)
Frederick John Widgery, known as ‘FJ’, lived much of his life in Exeter. Like his father, FJ’s primary source of inspiration was Dartmoor but he also visited the Exe estuary and Woodbury Common as well as other sections of the Devon and Cornwall coastline. Unlike his father, the young FJ enjoyed an extended period of training. Having attended Exeter Cathedral School, he studied at the local Art School, then housed here at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum. In London, he became a student at the South Kensington School of Art (now the Royal College of Art) and continued at the Academy in Antwerp.
In 1883 he spent his last period of training at the newly opened Bushy School of Art in Hertfordshire. FJ was active in the Arts and Education of Exeter. He became Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Royal Albert Memorial College and served as Chairman of both the College Committee and Fine Arts Committee.
“It is safe to say, in fact, that no living artist can equal Widgery in pen representation of rock, boulders and moving river scapes … No one, in fact, can pen-draw Dartmoor’s rugged wastes and streams with the same unerring light and shade, and the same suggestion of space…”
Critic in the Exeter
Express and Echo, 9 May, 1917
As a city councillor he was also deeply involved in local politics and was appointed Mayor in 1903-1904. Civic honours awarded to him included Honorary Freeman of Exeter 1905, Alderman 1909, and Justice of the Peace in 1912.
Working from his studio at 20a Queen Street, FJ maintained close contacts with the museum and in 1931 donated his entire collection of sketches and sketchbooks. Most were not intended as ‘finished’ work for public exhibition and therefore reflect the artist’s personal interest and pleasure in the world around him.
Cross at Chagford
Oil on canvas,1869.
William Widgery used Dartmoor crosses as dramatic focal points in several paintings. In 1887, the year of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, he built a granite cross on Bray Tor, near Lydford to celebrate the occasion.
Moor Brook near Okehampton
Watercolour, heightened with body colour/gouache, on paper.
Moor Brook tumbles through Halstock Wood and meets the East Okement River at West Cleave in the East Okement Valley.
On the Taw, near Stepperton Tor, Dartmoor
Watercolour and gouache on paper.
The conical mound of Stepperton dominates Taw marsh. Vast rocky outcrops, these Tors are well known, and much photographed, shapes in the landscape. Moorland sweeps from Dartmoor’s north plateau down to Mid Devon and then Exmoor National Park on the horizon.
Sharpitor Rocks
Oil on canvas.
Some of Dartmoor’s tors’, such as the Sharpitor Rocks, have ‘Logan stones. These rocks are known for their odd placement, possibly by ancient Druids. They are also able to rock back and forth, unhindered by the moorlands.
On the Lyd, Devon
Watercolour, highlighted with gouache on paper.
A favourite subject of Widgery’s, the “Lyd” river and surrounding Lydford area were undeniably a popular subject due to their representation of the more scenic parts of the moor.
On the Tamar, Devon
The Tamar is a river in south west England, that forms most of the border between Devon (to the east) and Cornwall (to the west). Widgery loved painting scenes of both the river and the river bank, given the lush green foliage that springs up along the river’s edge.
Woodland Scene with Cattle
This Dartmoor scene is dominated by the trees that grow on the riverbank in a region of the moor. Also in this painting by Widgery, however, are grazing cattle. Many Devonshire farmers utilised the moorland for grazing, and Widgery is careful to represent this particular aspect of the wilderness.
In Taw Marsh, near Belstone, Dartmoor
Taw Marsh is dotted with masses of granite and surrounded by lofty eminences, with all the features and incidents characteristic of the peculiar scenery of the moor. It is no wonder that both William Widgery and his son, Frederick John, frequented the area as a proper representation of the moor.
Tor Marsh
A typical example of a tor marsh in Dartmoor, this marsh is actually depicted in one of the brighter colour palettes. Most often, the marshlands of the moor are depicted in muted, quiet colours, to highlight the isolated nature of Dartmoor’s wilderness. Widgery, however, chooses to bring out the startling reds of the moor along its banks, giving it a character not seen by many.
Lydford Castle
A favourite subject of Widgery’s, the “Lyd” river and surrounding Lydford area were undeniably a popular subject due to their representation of the more scenic parts of the moor.
Ancient Cross on Whitchurch Down near Tavistock
This view looks north-west towards Brentor Church. The cross was erected as a waymarker for the track across Whitchurch Down, leading into Tavistock. William Widgery was known for his work with oils in his landscape paintings.
Moorland Scene
Like his father, William Widgery, FJ’s primary source of inspiration was Dartmoor.
Landscape and Sky Study
FJ Widgery is well-known throughout Devon for his extraordinary sketch collection – consisting of 500-600 works – which he bestowed upon the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in the occasion of his death.
Rain Clouds
These pencil and crayon sketches (and sometimes even watercolour studies) were done for study as well as for leisure. They range to anything from the Devonshire landscape to studies of light and shadow as well as sketches of a variety of animals.
Estuary of the Exe
A pen and ink drawing done by FJ Widgery. These were his forte, and he is regarded highly by historians as being a master of this particular skill.
Scene on the Taw, Stepperton
The River Taw occupies the northern part of Dartmoor and here, Widgery captures one of its peaceful meanders through the hills and valleys of the moor, including a roughly-hewn footpath in the immediate foreground of the painting.
Logan Stone, Rippon Tor
While the Rippon Tor is given its due time in the foreground of this watercolour by Widgery, it is scarcely the subject of this piece, and merely exists to establish the precise location that the true focal point exists in. The Logan Stone falls in the centre of this composition, falling at precisely the horizon. The stone from which this painting gets its name rests in the centre as the topmost stone in the stack of three stones at the focal point.
Leather Tor Bridge
A stone “clapper” bridge over the river Meavy in Dartmoor, Devon, England. A small depiction of a hunter and his valet crossing the bridge can be seen in the foreground; one of Widgery’s small tributes to life on the moor. Inscription FJ Widgery Leather Tor Bridge in pencil
Wallabrook, Clapper Bridge, Dartmoor
One of the many rivers that flows through the moor is the Wallabrook. In the foreground exists a large slab of granite, lying above the Wallabrook as a rudimentary bridge. In the distant focal point of the piece, Widgery uses a fisherman to complete the illusion of the moorish lifestyle
Cranmere Pool, Dartmoor
Representing a remote body of water in the moorlands, this piece depicts Cranmere Pool. A small landmark in the large northern half of the Dartmoor wilderness of Devon, England, the pool is depicted by Widgery without sparing the viewer from the desolation of the bogs and marshes Dartmoor itself offers.
Stone Row at Shoveldown looking towards the North Teign and Cawsand Beacon
Shovel Down is an area of Dartmoor in Devon that is covered in megaliths including the remains of several stone rows, circles and standing stones.
A Tolmen on the Teign
Once again in the spirited depiction of the Dartmoor area by Widgery, we find ourselves faced with the river Teign in our mid-ground. However, the subject of this work is none other than the large stone placed in the very centre of the painting. The Stone is characterised by the large circular hole that perforates the top of the Stone, formed by friction with the river Teign.
Cyclopean Bridge (Post Bridge, Dartmoor)
A watercolour rendering of a modern country bridge over the East Dart River in the Dartmoor area. Widgery chose to not only depict the well-travelled road, but to showcase its leisurely use by local and touring fishermen by placing a fisherman in the mid-ground of the piece.
The Spinster Rock, Drewsteignton
FJ Widgery employed his watercolours in this work depicting the Drewsteignton Cromlech, better known as Spinster’s Rock. This is an example of one of Devon’s Neolithic structures, most likely a burial site.
Fingle Bridge on the Teign
On the river Teign lies a proper bridge, depicted here in the mid-ground by Widgery. He places two figures – most likely hunters – on the bridge to help convey the active nature of the area. Rare for Widgery in this series of Dartmoor watercolours, Widgery also takes this opportunity to explore some of the wild forests and woodlands of the moor in the foreground, giving them an optimal colour and fullness to truly bring them to life.
Dewerstone, Dartmoor
Here, Widgery depicts the Plym stream in the moor, a nearby crag in the leftmost foreground.
Bowerman’s Nose, Manaton Dartmoor
Like his father before him, FJ Widgery uses Bowerman’s nose as the focal point and subject of his Dartmoor series of watercolours.
Grimspound, Dartmoor (showing the main entrance from the South)
A rare sight on the moor, Widgery captures the remains of the prehistoric settlements once present in the area. Using his watercolour techniques, he exposes an older wall from the ancient settlement.
Sacred Circle, Mis Tor, Langstone Moor, Dartmoor
FJ was commissioned to produce 22 watercolours of Dartmoor scenes to illustrate a revised edition of Samuel Rowe’s A Perambulation of Dartmoor, published in 1896. He represented the most prominent features of the landscape such as the tors, standing stones, and rivers and bridges.
Vixen Tor, near Merivale Bridge, Dartmoor
A wonderful example of Widgery’s use of angles to amplify his subject matter, this tor is said to naturally bear similarities to the great Sphinx of Egypt, which is perhaps the reason behind the artist’s decision to paint the Vixen Tor.
Tavy Cleave, Dartmoor
Most notably prominent in this Widgery painting in the river Tor, rushing madly at a particular rough area in the environment at the foreground of the piece. The severe gorge of the Tavy Cleave is given its full spotlight, showcasing its namesake to both the left and right of the river Tor in the mid- and background.
Hill Bridge on the Tavy
Two hunters on horseback take pause on Hill Bridge, a structure spanning across the river Tavy in Tavistock,
Valley of the Rocks on the West Okement
Widgery paints a picture of the West Okement (or Ockment) River and its surrounding valley area. To the right, a pasture of sheep graze in the background, bathed in glowing sunshine and more vibrant colours.
Yes Tor near Okehampton, Dartmoor
This particular representation of Yes Tor in Dartmoor, Devon, England, is a rarity in Widgery’s landscapes. In the distant background, the viewer perceives the second highest point of all of Dartmoor, where the rough outline of the sparse huts and walls erected on the Yes Tor can be seen. In the foreground is what appears to be two hunters on horseback to the left and their future prize on the right.
Generous support from the Friends RAMM made these exhibitions possible. Neither William nor FJ Widgery were particularly careful about the methods they used to prepare their canvasses, or the way they mounted and framed watercolour and oil paintings. Moreover, years of storage in the artists’ studio left most of their works needing considerable conservation before they could safely be displayed. The Friends kindly agreed to fund all the conservation work.
Watercolours
Almost all the watercolour paintings were painted on good quality rag paper. But the paper was pasted down onto very poor quality, acidic mounting boards. Left untreated, acid from the board gradually migrates through into the watercolour paper. This, causes brown marks, general discoloration and weakening of the paper and sometimes changing the original paint colours.
To stabilise these paintings, the paper has to be painstakingly removed from the old board, then cleaned, pressed and remounted in ‘conservation-friendly’ boards. This makes it safe to display the painting and stops it from continuing to degrade once it goes back into storage – so the money spent on the exhibition also contributes to the long-term survival of the collections.
Oil Paintings
Many of the Widgery oil paintings were in a poor state, with the paint layers often cracking and peeling away from the surface of the canvas. Woodland Scene with Cattle (by William Widgery) was so unstable in the sky that flakes of paint had lifted right up from the surface and were literally hanging on by a thread. The painting had to be protected, then relined onto a new canvas before being cleaned, retouched where paint was lost, and revarnished.
Gilded Frames
Several of the paintings in this exhibition are no longer in their original frames. Historic gilded frames are quite fragile and in the past were regarded as expendable, so were often discarded and replaced. Nowadays we recognise that the frames can be works of art in their own right, though they can be in very poor condition. Most of the surviving original frames in this show needed conservation work. They were worked on in the conservation labs here at RAMM.
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