The Spirit of the Vale of Neath - Day
1818
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1818
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
The Spirit of the Vale of Neath - Day is a 1818 watercolor by Thomas Hornor, a British Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a woman floating above a landscape, wrapped in a flowing white cloth that looks like clouds. She’s holding her cloak open, and below her is a small town by water, with hills in the distance. The sky is painted with soft, fluffy clouds, and the whole scene feels dreamy and light. The artist used watercolor to make the colors blend smoothly, especially in the sky and the woman’s cloak. Notice how the light seems to glow around her, making her stand out against the darker background. Next, look up Romanticism to see how this painting fits into that movement.
Thomas Hornor’s *The Spirit of the Vale of Neath – Day* is a watercolour and pencil study created around 1816–20 as part of a preparatory series for a panorama. The work measures 41.2 by 54.6 centimetres and is rendered on cream card. It was later offered at Christie’s in 1988 as part of a sale of Fine English Drawings and Watercolours.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Thomas Hornor was a farmer and political figure in Upper Canada.
See the richer artist page
