Sir William Russell Flint

Scottish, 1880–1969

Under the Church Sundial, Tourrettes, c. 1919

watercolour on paper

39 x 57 cm

Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Gift from the Estate of Jean Patricia Norwell

2002-80

Categories:

Painting, Works on Paper

Following his studies at Daniel Stewart’s College in Edinburgh, Scotland, William Russell Flint worked as an illustrator for medical texts, advertisements, and notable books, including Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales and Homer’s The Odyssey. After active service in World War I, Flint concentrated on watercolour painting, largely abandoning his illustration work. His travels took him to Europe where he was drawn to the people and landscapes of France and Spain, finding much inspiration for his watercolour subjects. Flint’s skill at capturing the effects of light and shadow through delicate washes of colour is readily evident in the WAG watercolour. Tourettes is a town in the south of France with an impressive group of Romanesque buildings. In this rendering of a square, one can sense the heat of the bright sun as it washes the villagers and stone walls with a brilliant light.