Who painted Saint Winifreds Well Wales?

Saint Winifreds Well Wales was painted by Barrington in 1850.

Where can I see Saint Winifreds Well Wales?

Saint Winifreds Well Wales is held by National Library of Wales.

What movement is Saint Winifreds Well Wales?

Saint Winifreds Well Wales is associated with British Romanticism.

Artwork

Saint Winifreds Well Wales

Barrington , 1850

Saint Winifreds Well Wales is an oil painting by the British Romanticist artist Barrington. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the National Library of Wales.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

As a landscape work, the piece focuses on the physical setting of the well rather than illustrating a specific narrative moment from the saint's legend.

The painting depicts St Winefride's Well, a historic shrine located in Wales. The composition features a woman and a girl alongside a dog, figures situated within the landscape surrounding the sacred site. As a landscape work, the piece focuses on the physical setting of the well rather than illustrating a specific narrative moment from the saint's legend.

The inclusion of the shrine as the main subject highlights the location's significance as a place of pilgrimage and veneration.

Technique & Style

Executed circa 1850, this landscape painting utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 89 cm in height and 57 cm in width. Stylistically, the composition depicts the shrine of St Winefride's Well, incorporating figural elements including a woman, a girl, and a dog within the setting.

History & Provenance

The landscape painting titled St Winifred's Well, Wales by Barrington was created circa 1850. Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 89 cm in height and 57 cm in width. It is currently held within the Framed works of art collection at the National Library of Wales.

The institution acquired the piece in 1998 through a purchase from Miles Wynn Cato, assigning it the accession number 199800090.

The painting is held in the collection of the National Library of Wales as part of its Framed works of art collection, with accession number 199800090 acquired through purchase from Miles Wynn Cato in 1998.

It has been exhibited in the National Library of Wales' Framed works of art collection.

The work depicts St Winefride's Well with a dog, woman, and girl, and measures 89 cm in height by 57 cm in width.

Overview

Created around 1850, this oil painting by Barrington portrays the historic St Winefride’s Well in Wales. The composition centers on a modest shrine set within a dimly lit interior, where a kneeling figure in dark attire is accompanied by a calm dog. The work is part of the National Library of Wales collection and exemplifies mid‑nineteenth‑century religious landscape painting.

Context

St Winefride’s Well has long been a destination for pilgrims seeking healing waters, a tradition reflected in the painting’s focus on personal prayer rather than grand ceremony. The work aligns with Victorian interests in medieval spirituality and the revival of historic sacred sites, situating it within broader cultural movements of the era.