λ SIR ALFRED MUNNINGS (BRITISH 1878-1959)SPRING, WITHYPOOL, SOMERSET Oil on boardSigned (lower right)51 x 61cm (20 x 24 in.)Provenance:The Fine Art Society, London, February 1974 (stock no. 5629)Christopher Wood Gallery, LondonAcquired from the above by the present ownerReflecting on the sweeping panoramic landscapes of Exmoor, Sir Alfred Munnings is quoted in his autobiography 'An Artist's Life', questioning 'Is this wild country casting its net over me'. The beauty of the English countryside captured Munnings' imagination and this present lot is no exception. The scudding clouds float along the visible horizon which is lined with shrubs and sheep grazing on the rolling hills of smooth grass. The boldness and momentum of Munnings' brushstrokes create impasto across the surface creating depth to the pasture and foliage. The long shadows linger over the valley in the foreground. Munnings' used both ends of his paint brushes scraping and marking the oil paint across the surface. The present picture relates to a slightly larger work, entitled A View on Exmoor with Bushes in Blossom, in the collection of the Munnings Museum, Dedham. We are grateful to the Curatorial staff at The Munnings Art Museum for their assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.λ Indicates that this lot may be subject to Droit de Suite royalty charges. From 1st January 2012 all UK art market professionals are required to collect a royalty payment for all works of art that have been produced by qualifying artists each time a work is re-sold during the artist’s lifetime and for a period up to 70 years following the artists death. This payment is only calculated on qualifying works of art which are sold for a hammer price more than the UK sterling equivalent of EURO 1,000. Please see our Terms and Conditions for a full definition of these charges. For a complete list of the royalty charges and threshold levels, please see www.dacs.org.uk.