Birket Foster, R.W.S. Sixteen examples in colour of the artist's work — Edition Insights

From Wood-Block to Watercolour

Cundall devotes considerable attention to Foster's formative years as a wood-block illustrator. The 'minuteness in detail' acquired from engraving, he writes, 'continued to pervade his paintings in later life.' This observation is supported by the list of plates, which includes subjects such as 'Gleaners,' 'Going Home,' and 'The Blackberry Gatherers'—scenes that demand precise rendering of figures, foliage, and textures. Cundall notes that Foster's early work for The Illustrated London News involved sketching watering-places, and that later in life he revisited these locations to paint 'charming little scenes' in colour. The transition from monochrome wood-engraving to full-colour watercolour is presented as a natural evolution, with the discipline of the former informing the delicacy of the latter.

Rural Surrey and the Picturesque

The introduction identifies Surrey as the heartland of Foster's best-known work. Cundall describes 'homely scenes' from 'that picturesque part of Surrey, where he lived for many years,' and lists recurring motifs: 'sunny landscapes, with sheep roaming in the distance and with rustic children playing in the foreground,' along with 'peaceful red-brick cottages covered with thatch.' Plates such as 'A Surrey Cottage,' 'Near Godalming,' and 'Passing the Flock' exemplify this focus. Yet Cundall also notes that Foster 'wandered far afield' across England, Wales, and Scotland, with a particular fondness for the Northern counties and Northumberland, his native region. The tension between local attachment and broader travel is a thread throughout the text.

Miniature Precision and Later Subjects

Cundall draws a direct comparison between Foster and the still-life painter William Hunt, noting that while Hunt painted fruit 'the same size as in Nature,' Foster produced 'almost miniature representations of them.' This miniature quality extends beyond still lifes: the plates include 'Loch Leven Castle,' Venetian scenes, and 'Sunset with Cattle,' all rendered with the same meticulous touch. Cundall also mentions Foster's fondness for painting children on the seashore, though he stops short of calling him a seascape artist. The introduction concludes with biographical details: Foster's illness in 1893, his move to Weybridge, and his death in 1899. His grave in Witley churchyard is marked by a Celtic cross with a simple inscription.

Cundall's text is as much a portrait of Victorian taste as of Foster himself. Readers may wish to compare the listed plates with the introduction's claims about 'poetic feeling' and 'exactness.' The sixteen colour examples—though not reproduced in this digital edition—are the core of the volume; the introduction serves as a guide to the artist's methods and subjects, not a substitute for seeing the works themselves.

There’s a particular stillness in Cundall’s words about Foster’s Surrey lanes, that careful patience in every tiny leaf. I kept thinking how that same quiet awe—of finding immense tenderness in a small, framed view—came back to me while turning through The Jewel City — A Closer Reading. Both felt like holding a moment gently, unwilling to hurry it.