John Glover, 
British 1767-1849- 

Gold Rill Beck, Ullswater; 

oil on canvas, 71.5 x 90.5 cm. 

Provenance: 
The Property of the Late Reverend John Watson. 

Note: 
John Glover studied under William Payne (1755/60-c.1830) and began showcasing his oil paintings at the Royal Academy in 1795, where his works garnered positive attention, often being compared favourably to those of J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851). In his pursuit of innovative methods to depict light and atmosphere, Glover pioneered a technique involving a split brush for painting foliage, a style evident in the trees and landscape of this current work. The picturesque composition, the dappled treatment of the middle ground and rendering of foliage are all typical of Glover. 

Glover frequently visited the Lake District, embarking on sketching and painting tours to Cumberland and Westmoreland from 1793. The farm he rented at Blowick, along with the expanse of Ullswater and its winding tributary, Gold Rill Beck, are prominently featured in many of his paintings and drawings. An example depicting this landscape was exhibited with the Society of Painters in Water Colours (SPWC) in 1806. Glover is also known to have rendered this composition in watercolour; an example was presented at Bonhams Australia, 26 June 2019 (lot 76). Glover travelled to Australia in 1831, at the age of 64, becoming one of the most influential and celebrated landscape painters of the country. 

The attribution of the present work to John Glover was confirmed by the late David Hansen through private communication in November 2023.