40 Artists & Illustrators
JOHN NASH
Nash was practical about the
landscape but also aware of
its romantic undertones
observe,whereasthebotanist
orbirdwatcheradoptsanalmost
scientificapproachinthedesire
forknowledgeandaccuracy.
Johnwasa schoolboybotanist
whobecamea famousplantsman,
creatingmemorablegardensatboth
ofhismainhomes,firstatMeadlein
Buckinghamshire,andlaterat
WormingfordontheEssex-Suffolk
borders.AtMeadlehelivedwithhis
wifeChristineina cottageonthe
edgeoftheAylesburyPlain.Hehad
grownupinBuckinghamshireand
hada deepfeelingforthelandscape,
ascanbeseeninhismagnificent
1926 paintingTheEdgeofthePlain.
Itshighviewpointallowsa long
perspectiveonthelandscape,fullof
movement(therhythmicundulations
oftheearthechoedinthe
cloudscape)anddottedwithclumps
oftrees.ThefieldsfoldaroundthehillsandchalkdownsoftheChilterns,
thewhitechalkshowingthroughthe
thingrasscoverandilluminatingthe
prospect.Thewhitealsoreferences
oneofJohn’sgreatannualrituals:
paintingsnowscenes.Hewasthe
poetoffrozenpondsandsnow-swept
wintryfields.Hisothergreatsubjects
weretreesandtheforgottencorners
offields;theoverlookedwhichis
ofteninfullview.
A standoftreesatfieldmargin
ordepictedfromwithina woodland
gladehadvariousmeaningsand
associationsforJohn.Asidefromthe
often-complex,formalstructureof
verticals,diagonalsandhorizontals
(fallentreesa speciality),suggestions
ofmysteryandsolitude,aswellas
beauty,appealedtohim.Headmitted
tobeingpracticalaboutthe
landscapebutalsotobeingkeenly
awareofitsromanticundertones.Sometimesthereis a feelingof
unease,ofhiddenthreat,behindthe
surfaceappearancehecapturesso
well.Forestscanbemenacing,and
amputatedtrunksorbranchescan
resemblehumanlimbs.(Notfor
nothingarewoodcutterscalled“tree
surgeons”.)Johnknewtreesaswell
asheknewplantsandlikedtobring
outtheirindividualcharacteristics.
Noticethedifferentshapesofthe
treecanopiesinTheEdgeofthe
Plain. Somespurtupwardsand
outwardslikefireworks,othersare
gatheredintoa roundedbonnet;
inothers,theleafpatternsclearly
followtheoutlineofbranches.ATHOMEINWATER
AlthoughJohnwasa highly-skilled
painterinoils,heis perhapsbetter
knownasa watercolourist.Hefelt
ateaseinwatercolour,valuingits
spontaneity,theneedtogetit right
(themedium’sresistanceto
successfulchange)anditscapacity
forlyricalsuggestion.Hehadan
endlesscapacityfortakingpains
aswellasaninstinctivesureness
ofplacinghiselements.InhisABOVE Panorama
of Pyramids, 1953,
oil on canvas,
66x126cm
GOVERNMENT ART COLLECTION (LONDON)© THE ESTATE OF JOHN NASH