Lot 96: EDWIN AUSTIN ABBEY, R.A. (PHILADELPHIA 1852-1911 LONDON) In Awe,

EDWIN AUSTIN ABBEY, R.A. (PHILADELPHIA 1852-1911 LONDON) In Awe, Oil on canvas, laid down on board, 120.5 by 81 cm.
Exhibited: From the Hudson River School to the aesthetic movement , William Vareika Fine Arts, New Port, September-October 1998 (according to the label on the reverse).

In Awe shows two ladies from the back, in a wooded landscape, wearing long colourful and decorative dresses. Although it is not possible to ascertain the source for this work, it is highly probable that Abbey took inspiration from a literary text. The viewer is invited here to use his own imagination to engage with the apprehension of the two figures. The exaltation of fantasy and imagination was at the core of the Romantic ideal. With its subject matter and the rendering of the beautifully detailed fabrics, the painting is perfectly in tune with the vogue for historical novels and costume dramas. The colours are vivid and the strong contrasts between the almost pure blues, yellows, reds and greens, create a wonderfully balanced composition, formed by juxtaposing large areas of colour.