1879
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Bellman is a 1879 by Samuel Palmer, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A night bellman walks a grassy path under a huge moon. His lantern lights just enough to see his boots and the tall grass. Behind him, a dark tree leans in like a stage prop. This isn’t a real town crier. Palmer made him part of a dreamy England where everyday things feel holy. The moon glows so bright it turns shadows silver. Check out Samuel Palmer (British, 1805–1881) right next door.
In a highly personal style, Palmer combined minute study of natural details with Gothic features from early Northern art and figure types borrowed from William Blake (also in this gallery). His moonlit landscapes of Kent appear as a fruitful, mysterious paradise, populated by a race of rustic heroes, personifications of pastoral contentment.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Samuel Palmer Hon.RE (Hon. Fellow of the Society of Painter-Etchers) (27 January 1805 – 24 May 1881) was a British landscape painter, etcher and printmaker. He was also a prolific writer. Palmer was a key figure in…
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
