‘The Bat Begins with Giddy Wing’ - Barley Field over the Hedge
Watercolour and pencil with scratching out; initialled and dated 1885, labelled with title
11 1⁄2 x 17 3⁄4 inches
The Bat begins with giddy wing
His circuit round the shed and tree;
And clouds of dancing gnats to sing
A Summer night’s serenity.
North’s wanting ‘to make his drawings tingle and shimmer with light led him to paint multitudinous details melting together, with spots and particles of pure colour. His method can be compared with pointillisme; certainly, he was groping for method of expression which the French Impressionists developed more fully.’ (Martin Hardie)