Cox O.W.S., David (1783 – 1859) – Crossing a Windswept Moor.

This drawing of the 1840s demonstrates Cox's genius as a draughtsman. He gracefully transforms rapid marks of chalk and wash into effects of the weather; the middle ground darkens under fast moving clouds, damp wind blows across the moor and buffets the caravan of travellers, sun light breaks through the sky near the hills on the horizon. In his 2010 catalogue, Andrew Wyld speculated that this drawing may have been made in Wales, in the Vale of Clwyd. Certainly, this rugged landscape is a long way from those of the South East of England. How well Cox's work catered to the taste for romantic and emotive landscapes, without the need for standing on that cold moor yourself...