Artistic influences
The spectacular beauty of the Wye Gorge has been celebrated by artists and
writers for more than 250 years.
Whilst the area has never produced an artist who has recorded the area like Constable did Suffolk, the landscape was, and still is a great inspiration to all.
The Home of Watercolouring
This area was home to the influential Victorian water colourist Joshua Cristall (1767 - 1847), who lived at Goodrich, Herefordshire. His younger contemporary, the distinguished landscape painter David Cox (1783-1859) was another prominent figure in watercolour painting. He lived and taught in Hereford for thirteen years. His interpretation of nature's moods drew comparison, at the time, with Constable. Joseph Murray Ince, (1806 - 1859) was a pupil of Cox's at Hereford. His work included a number of watercolour landscapes of mid Wales and the Wye in the 1830s. All three contributed to Herefordshire's reputation as the place where the great artistic tradition of water colouring was born, and the collection in Hereford City Art Gallery bears witness to this. Works by Cox are also in the collections at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.
Turner and Tintern Abbey
The soaring arches and elegant windows of ruined Tintern Abbey, set against the wooded valley of the river Wye, provided artistic inspiration for Turner. He visited on two of his tours in 1792 and 1798 and painted the site a number of times.
Elgar and Mordiford
Sir Edward Elgar, composer of 'Land of Hope and Glory' lived on the outskirts of Hereford from 1904 to 1911. Mordiford Bridge , a short cycle ride from his home, was one of his favourite haunts and it is here that he made sketches for the orchestral and choral work The Music Makers. The score is inscribed with the name of the bridge. One of his Enigma Variations is about a friend's dog falling in the River Wye.
Today's artists
Today, the Wye Valley has a thriving community of artists, sculptors, potters and craftsmen. There are numerous opportunities to view their work, or to give rein to your own creativity at courses and workshops in the area.
