ART NEWS
An extraordinary oil painting exhibition of Britain’s most stunning natural and historic landmarks by artist Francis Salvesen opens today
The Great British Art Exhibition: Our Iconic Landmarks (11-16 November) brings together 50 life-like works from the self-taught artist and nature enthusiast
To coincide with with the opening of the exhibition, we reveal our five personal highlights from the show
A major exhibition of the UK’s most inspiring historic and natural landmarks by self-taught British artist, Francis Salvesen, opens at La Galleria Pall Mall today.
With 50 life-like paintings on show, The Great British Art Exhibition: Our Iconic Landmarks, captures the wonders of Britain’s most treasured natural sites, including breathtaking views of the British coastline, iconic waterfalls, seasonal woodlands and atmospheric mountains.
From the White Cliffs of Dover, to John O’Groats, the Giant’s Causeway to water cascades in the Brecon Beacons, the paintings reveal monumental views across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, capturing the transient effects of light and immersive layers of detail.
Historic monuments from Brighton Pavilion to Eilean Donan Castle in the Scottish Highlands also showcase the remarkable history and architecture of the British Isles. Based on studies, photos and, sometimes, repeated paintings of the same location at different times of day in different seasons, these locations are brought to life through Francis’s vivid and poignant colour schemes.
Part of the long tradition of British landscape painting, Francis’s meticulous and passionate works explore the unique majesty of places he has come to love, while also raising important questions about how these sites can be preserved and maintained in the face of development and environmental threats.
Commenting on the launch of the exhibition, Francis said: “I hope that my paintings will allow me to guide you around the country, on my voyage of discovery. Certainly, I found the scenes deeply inspiring. I took photographs as the cloud formations, seasons, lights and colours impacted on my conscious and subconscious, and detailed my thoughts in the poetry that accompanies each painting. I hope my exhibition will inspire others to be passionate about the natural wonders of the British landscape.”
To celebrate the launch of this stunning solo exhibition, we have picked out five of our favourite Francis Salvesen paintings, which will all be on show at the gallery this week.
The Great British Art Exhibition: Our Iconic Landmarks runs between 11 and 16 November at La Galleria Pall Mall, Unit 30, Royal Opera Arcade, 5b Pall Mall, London SW1Y 4UY. Exhibition opening hours are 8am-11pm Monday to Friday and 9-6pm on Saturday. Exhibition entry is free.