I can never go into the Ashmolean (one of the joys of living in Oxford, it's almost as much fun as the Fitz) without going to have a look at A Hunt in the Forest. There's something about that very extreme use of perspective, with everything shrinking away towards the vanishing point in the darkness, that almost literally tries to suck you into the painting - it's addictive.
And you're quite right, though I'd never thought of it before, there is something reminiscent of Baynes - her drawing of human figures is rather graceful in a Uccello way, though I think Uccello is more robust, particularly in his use of colour. (I've always found Baynes's illustrations rather weedy for my taste somehow: I don't mind them in Narnia too much, but when applied to Middle-earth they always feel twee beyond belief.) As you say, I'm sure in that particular painting it's the combination of the dark forest setting and the vanishing motif which particularly says "Narnia!"
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momijizukamori
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Date: 2009-04-09 03:15 pm (UTC)And you're quite right, though I'd never thought of it before, there is something reminiscent of Baynes - her drawing of human figures is rather graceful in a Uccello way, though I think Uccello is more robust, particularly in his use of colour. (I've always found Baynes's illustrations rather weedy for my taste somehow: I don't mind them in Narnia too much, but when applied to Middle-earth they always feel twee beyond belief.) As you say, I'm sure in that particular painting it's the combination of the dark forest setting and the vanishing motif which particularly says "Narnia!"