Object of the Day: A Painting by W.A. Young

Autumn leaves glint amber and gold in the fading light of day, reflecting against the still waters of a stream. A woman in a silver robe—lined in brilliant crimson, and hemmed in ebony—raised a violin to her peach-hued cheek. She is about to play, to serenade nature. At her feet, a tangle of wild flowers breathe the last gasps of Spring. Her song signifies the changing of seasons and the passage of time. Her countenance shows her resolve that things are fleeting, and, yet, she celebrates the morphing of the world around her.

This painting by W.A. Young is at first, a bucolic genre painting. However, on closer inspection, it is a startling study of contrasts. The statuesque beauty of the woman is a counterpoint to the fading majesty of the napping trees. The stillness of the water juxtaposes the life in her limbs. It is a moment in time, captured for eternity.

Dating to the 1870’s, there’s some mystery as to who W.A. Young is. My research indicates that this is most likely the work of the English Artist/Historian, W.A. Young who famously worked in cataloging the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in the late Nineteenth Century. Influenced by the monumental works of the late Eighteenth Century, this painting is rendered with a heavy, deliberate hand and clearly shows influences of earlier great English painters. Regardless of the artist’s identity, this work is quick to tell us that time is fleeting.