Eric Ravilious: Downland Man - Wiltshire Museum

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Sat 25 Sep 2021 - Thu 30 Dec 2021

The stunning county of Wiltshire is world-famous for its rolling hills (known locally as downs) and ancient history. The area is full of huge hill sculptures and sites, precious to ancient peoples. Over the centuries many, many artists have been drawn to the county and among them is the twentieth-century artist and printmaker Eric Ravilious, who returned to Wiltshire again and again during his life. He left a surprising and fascinating record of his visits.



You have until the 30th of January to see a fantastic and rare exhibition at Wiltshire Museum in Devizes. 'Downland Man' displays over 20 works by the mysterious and brilliant artist Eric Ravilious, who loved the chalk hills (or downs) of Wiltshire and the south coast of England. Step into the two temperature and light-controlled galleries and see some of the finest examples of 20th-century landscapes anywhere in the world!

This small but powerful exhibition is all the more enjoyable for showing local scenes of ancient history and in particular, the pictures of ancient, Neolithic hill carvings. Wiltshire has several beautiful designs that were carved into the white chalk hills by ancient people and Eric Ravilious was especially fond of them. Working in the run-up to World War Two, a lot of these landmarks were buried to confuse the Luftwaffe German bomber planes as they flew over the south coast. As such, these paintings were and are a beautiful record and a love letter to ancient artists and the English countryside.

Many people would describe Ravilious as a quirky or rustic artist, but to see these paintings in person reveals a deep realism and sense of place, in every scene. The colours are all gentle and subtle but show real places, in all manner of weathers. The prints themselves are very delicate and fragile and so any photography is prohibited. My images are all from the catalogue for the exhibition, which is a fascinating read and can be bought at the venue for £12. They are all prints but many have been enhanced by hand-made tools and chisels, which add to the depth and realism of the images.



This exhibition also tells the tale of a life cut short, in a very moving manner. Ravilious became an official war artist at the start of World War Two and lost his life when the plane he was travelling on did not return to its base in Iceland. As well as his wife and children, Ravilious left behind an uncompleted children's book about the chalk figures of the south, called 'Downland Man'. The centrepiece of the exhibition is the one and only draft (or dummy) copy of the booklet, which is now owned by the museum itself. To see the handwritten notes and preliminary sketches of Ravilious makes you feel as if he is right beside you!

A ticket to this exhibition grants you entry to the entire museum, which is full of all manner of history and archaeology. Some of the finds there are tremendous and span local history from the stone age to the Twenty-First Century. My favourite exhibit was a print of Stonehenge by the sculptor Henry Moore, who visited Wiltshire in the 1930s and was very impressed by the stone circle. The rooms are spread over three floors and visitors could easily spend an hour or two discovering the treasures there.



There is plenty of on-street parking near to the gallery or in the several long and short-stay carparks in the town. Devizes is a market town, made famous by the cloth industry and Wadsworth brewery, which is still making a variety of beers and is a major part of the town today. There are many, many shops and eateries to discover and all well within walking distance of the museum.



Ravilious exhibitions are very rare, as most of his works are in private collections or spread around the world in art galleries. To see so many of them, in one place, depicting local views, is even more unusual. The exhibition is brilliant and the low lighting makes for a very intimate and intense viewing experience that is not to be missed. Nobody does countryside colours like Eric Ravilious, so come and discover them for yourselves!



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!date 25/09/2021 -- 30/12/2021
%wnbath