Description
In Down the Road in Franklin County New York, Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait builds a focused image around the subject identified by the work’s name. The arrangement directs attention across the canvas in measured stages, connecting the main subject to the space and forms around it.
Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait uses changes in light, color, and definition to establish the work’s mood and guide attention. Changes in density across the image help separate primary forms from supporting areas while maintaining a unified overall design. The result is an image whose mood and structure become richer as the viewer notices the connections between its larger and smaller passages.
Hand painting the image in oils preserves the importance of surface, tonal transitions, and physical brushwork. The result combines the accessibility of a reproduction with the texture and individual character expected from a traditionally painted canvas.