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Benjamin Williams LeaderWading in the River Victorian Landscape Painting Figurative, English Countryside
$6,450
£4,885.28
€5,609.91
CA$9,039.22
A$9,831.14
CHF 5,210.15
MX$117,797.65
NOK 66,218.29
SEK 60,664.96
DKK 41,931.91
About the Item
Framed size: 26" x 36"
Signed bottom right B.W.LEADER
This evocative oil painting captures a quiet, idyllic moment beneath the Welsh sky: 3 figures, two children with a woman, stand wading in the shallow flow of a river, surrounded by verdant hills that frame the scene. The gently meandering Llugwy River glistens under soft light, while the undulating hills of Capel Curig rise beyond, their subtle outlines skilfully rendered through muted tones. With light-infused realism and lyrical simplicity, the painting conveys both the serenity of North Wales and the quiet wonder of childhood connection to nature.
Benjamin Williams Leader’s style embodies poetic realism infused with Impressionistic sensibilities. His early work showcased meticulous Pre‑Raphaelite detail, but over time he adopted looser brushwork - especially in his landscapes, favouring atmospheric lighting and natural luminosity. Wading in the River exemplifies this mature phase: unhurried composition, delicate tonal harmony, and subtle interplay of light and reflection. Leader often painted the Conwy Valley and areas around Capel Curig and Betws-y-Coed, capturing both rugged beauty and tender human moments with atmospheric clarity. In 1903, he painted On the Llugwy below Capel Curig, a grand landscape nearly 1.8 m wide, highlighting the region’s importance to his oeuvre.
Wading in the River is a quietly poetic reflection of a simpler time and place. Through soft light, muted tones, and evocative composition, Benjamin Williams Leader invites us into a peaceful, reflective moment - one where nature and childhood meet in tranquil harmony.
- Creator:Benjamin Williams Leader (1831 - 1923, English)
- Dimensions:Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)Width: 28.5 in (72.39 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Shrewsbury, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU81216781612
Benjamin Williams Leader
Benjamin Williams Leader entered the Royal Academy Schools from 1856 and exhibited his first painting at the summer exhibition the following year. Leader would go on to become one of the most celebrated landscape artists of the Victorian age and at the height of his fame his paintings commanded the highest prices of any British artist. He exhibited at the Royal Academy every year from 1857 to 1922, an unbroken 65 continuous years, which still stands as a record today. Benjamin Williams Leader was elected as an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1883, and an Academician in 1898. He also exhibited abroad, winning a gold medal at the Paris Salon and awarded the Legion of Honour in 1889. Examples of Leader’s work can be seen in Birmingham and Manchester Art Galleries, and the Victoria and Albert Museum and Tate Gallery in London.
About the Seller
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1stDibs seller since 2015
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Associations
LAPADA - The Association of Arts
Antiques DealersThe British Antique Dealers
AssociationThe Antiques Council
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Shrewsbury, United Kingdom
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