An Exmoor Farm 1937-38

James McIntosh Patrick's early talent was for etching, but when the print market slumped in the 1930's he diversified; teaching at Dundee College of Art, making illustrations for postcards and journals, and turning to oil painting. As with Richard Eurich's (1903-1992) Marine Harvest, represented at the Ferens, McIntosh Patrick's landscape paintings recall Bruegel's (c1525/30-69) meticulous attention to detail. His themes were generally of agriculture rather than wild nature, and are mainly found within a 20 mile radius of his Dundee home. An Exmoor Farm, however, shows a scene much further south, with the farm buildings of Wellstead Farm, Exford, surrounded by a imaginary wintry landscape. With its beautiful, calm atmosphere, this picture shows a rather sentimental and nostalgic view of traditional countryside leisure pursuits. It would have been created in the artist's studio as McIntosh Patrick did not paint 'En Plein Air' until the second world war when he lost his studio. Thereafter he would spend weeks, even months, working on one painting in all weathers, sometimes even warming his frozen paint to make it move.