Description
In Hills of Vernon, Theodore Clement Steele builds a focused image around the subject identified by the work’s name. A considered distribution of form and space keeps the subject legible while inviting a slower reading of the complete image.
Color and light work with the underlying design, expressing Theodore Clement Steele’s distinctive sense of pictorial order. The placement of visual weight across the surface keeps the focal area prominent while allowing secondary passages to remain meaningful. The result is an image whose mood and structure become richer as the viewer notices the connections between its larger and smaller passages.
In a hand-painted reproduction, the work is rebuilt through successive layers of oil color rather than mechanically printed. This process creates depth and surface variation beyond printed reproduction, resulting in an artwork intended for viewers who appreciate patient, traditional craftsmanship.