Cross at Chagford, Devon, by William Widgery (1822-1893). 1869. Oil on canvas. H H 62.8 x W 123.1 cm. Collection: Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Exeter. Accession no. K230, bequeathed by Kent and Jane Kingdon, 1892.
A shepherd herds a small flock of sheep past the leaning cross, during a glorious sunset on the moors. It is a bold and brilliantly coloured picture, belying descriptions of the moors as dreary wastes. It also bears witness to the moorland's mysterious past, for this is one of the granite crosses, of uncertain history, that dot the landscape. It looks like the leaning Week Down Cross, Chagford (see Hayter-Hames pp. 10 and 50), which has undergone various vicissitudes over the years. It certainly contributes to a dramatic composition.
Link to Related Material
Image download and text by Jacqueline Banerjee. The image is available on Art UK under the terms of a Creative Commons Zero licence (CC0).
Bibliography
Cross at Chagford, Devon. Art UK. Web. 21 April 2024.
Haytor-Hames, Jane. A History of Chagford. London: Phillimore, 1981.
Created 21 April 2024