Cattle at a Watering Hole in a Valley

John Henry Mole

1846–86 · Watercolor over graphite with gouache (bodycolor) and reductive techniques · Drawings and Prints

Born in Northumberland, Mole worked as a clerk before becoming a professional miniaturist and exhibiting at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and London. Around 1846, he shifted his focus to landscape and became a full member of the New Watercolour Society in 1848 (later the Institute of Painters in Water Colours), eventually serving as vice-president and exhibiting 679 works at their annual displays. "Cattle at a Watering Hole" is unusual in the artist's oeuvre for its broad handling, and the lack of figures--most of his landscapes include children. The location has not been identified, but the eroded limestone cliffs are reminiscent of the Yorkshire dales near Malham.

Artist

John Henry Mole

Date

1846–86

Medium

Watercolor over graphite with gouache (bodycolor) and reductive techniques

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Robert Tuggle, 2006