Nationality: British
Alexander Creswell (b. 1957) is one of Britain1s most successful living artists. He has grown within the great tradition of architectural watercolorists, and has doggedly pursued time-honoured values of integrity, craftsmanship and painterly quality.
He is best known for his watercolours of Windsor Castle, depicting both the result of the fire of 1992 and the subsequent restoration. These paintings were commissioned by HM Queen Elizabeth II. He has travelled on tour with
HRH The Prince of Wales as official artist. Much of his work has continued directly in the milieu of Oartist-traveller1, the role explored by watercolorists for 250 years. His oeuvre embraces projects evolving from travels throughout Europe and the USA, the Middle East and Egypt, China and Russia. His work in Britain has resulted in numerous commissions to paint aspects of the great country houses and more widely, fine architecture in general.
Power and Glory: Paintings of the Sicilian Baroque
Mary Miers accompanied the artist on his most recent trip to Sicily. Her illustrated article appears in Country Life (November 1st issue):
POWER AND GLORY
Anybody familiar with Alexander Creswell1s capacity for getting under the skin of his subject will not be surprised to find that his forthcoming exhibition encompasses much more than a series of accomplished watercolours dedicated to the Sicilian Baroque. Since he first visited Sicily at the end of last year, Mr. Creswell has become absorbed by the island1s rough-edged psyche, its history of 3...past conquest and reconquest that over the centuries has blended the blood of three continents into the turbulent fluid that fills Sicilian veins². He has combed its restless streets and stark
volcanic interior, forging new friendships and tracking down buildings he describes as 3unfashionable but fun².
He is perhaps best known in Britain for his series of paintings recording the fire-ravaged rooms at Windsor Castle before and after restoration, and for his dramatic portrayal of ruins published in The Silent Houses of Britain (1991). But those who saw his exhibitions on St. Petersburg and Egypt will know that Mr. Creswell is also a seasoned traveller of the old school, for whom keeping a detailed travelogue and studying the language, history and culture of a country he explores are as instinctive as his skill as a draughtsman and watercolourist.
The title of this exhibition, Power and Glory, encapsulates the spirit of two centuries of Sicilian architecture, starting with the devastating earthquake of 1693. The buildings conceived in the wake of this disaster expressed a lighthearted freedom of decoration whose incongruous gaiety was intended, perhaps, to assuage the horror. This playful provincial style became more accomplished in the hands of Rome-educated architects like Giovanni Battista Vaccarini (1702-68), later absorbing a lively, Sicilian vigour. But its flowering in the 18th century came with the extraordinary
inventiveness of Rosario Gagliardi (1700-70), whose buildings in Noto, Modica and Ragusa Mr. Creswell has painted.
If Guido Lasso1s overpowering Quattro Canti in the crowded heart of Palermo is for Mr. Creswell 3the starting point; where it all begins², Piazza Duomo in Syracuse is 3the most civilised urban space in Europe². Here he has sat for many hours marvelling at an architectural setpiece that spans twenty-five centuries of Sicilian history. The bold swagger of Andrea Palma1s Duomo facade, and the subtle elegance of Luciano Ali1s Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco have inspired some of his most striking paintings. The miniature palazzi lining a network of narrow thoroughfares at the heart of ancient Ortygia have provided another rich source of inspiration, with their ornate carving, oversailing cornices and bulbous balconies supported on grotesque and fanciful brackets.
Mr. Creswell relishes the 'sheer fun and craziness' of these buildings, believing that serious classicists have missed the point in dismissing them as barbarous and fantastical. He is incredulous that so few publications in English have devoted time to the Sicilian Baroque, stressing the 'world class' significance of buildings like San Giorgio in Modica, whose architect, Gagliardi, hardly travelled beyond Sicily. He has returned from each trip brimming with new material for a new book, which will demonstrate how much more there is to Sicilian architecture than ancient Classical ruins.
As well as recording many of the great 18th churches, palazzi, and villas such as Villa Palagonia in Palermo, Mr. Creswell has roamed the little known hill towns of the south, seeking out 3buildings you want to wrap up and take home in your pocket². He loves the ebullience of Sicily1s unsung artisan Baroque, where even the humblest building has something to celebrate. It is difficult not to be impressed by the formidable power of the church in this climate of extreme wealth and poverty: San Sebastiano, with its cluster of swashbuckling figures over its portico, is just one of nine churches in the remote outpost of Ferla, each with its florid belfry facade rising proud into the sky like an elaborate stage set.
The freedom and virtuosity of such buildings is reflected in the energy of Mr. Creswell1s style, which favours unusual angles and viewpoints, colliding lines and truncated elevations. It is the sculptural detail that most excites him, and his paintings are all about the effect of light in describing it. Often he will return patiently several times a day to catch a fleeting shaft of sunlight lifting a stone cornice so that it appears to float, or to make colour notes on the ethereal effects of reflected light bouncing off one stone surface onto another . What matters most are the sensuous qualities of this strong, southern light, the way it can model a building into life, and leave its stone still warm at dusk. Mr. Creswell understands what it is that makes these buildings sing, and through his paintings has reached to the very soul of Sicily1s warm-blooded Baroque.
Creswell first captured the public imagination in 1991 with the publication of his book, 'The Silent Houses of Britain', a study of abandoned country houses with paintings described as "..as evocative as Turner1s peerless watercolours of Petworth" (Financial Times). He also wrote and presented a television documentary on the subject.
With his reverence for tradition, its evolution is a little surprising. Armed with an education in history of art and architecture from school, Creswell sought technical training at art college but was frustrated by a trend which eschewed the rigours of form, composition, perspective and colour theory. The pursuit of those values was a lonely quest and Creswell is largely self-taught. The fruit of his ability is entirely modern. His work relies on a skeleton of traditional values which are fleshed out with his own vision, illuminated by a strong reverence for light.
His paintings depict often familiar subjects presented in a manner unique to his eye. He uses light and the atmosphere of architecture to create a spirit of place which is akin to the character of a subject brought out by successful portrait painters. Creswell1s watercolours are portraits of places which augment the viewer1s experience of the world which surrounds us every day.
Dr. Gregory Hedberg (Director of European Art at Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York) writes:
"While I think that New York City - thanks in large part to the New York Academy of Art founded in 1982 by Andy Warhol and others - is far ahead of London and Paris with respect to the revival of traditional drawing, painting and sculpture skills, when it comes to watercolors - London is way ahead of New York due in large part to the work of Alexander Creswell, whom I consider to be the finest watercolorist alive today.²
3As the increasingly earth-bound 21st century loosens its moorings from the other-worldly Modernist 20th century and sails off in a new direction, one can observe tradition artistic skills being revived by a new generation of young artists all over the world. In a few decades from now, at the rate we are going, we will no longer stand in abject awe at the skill of artists like Raphael, Rubens, or Sargent, as we will have dozens of artists who can rival their skills.²
BIOGRAPHY
Alexander Creswell (b. 1957) is one of Britain1s most successful living artists. He has grown within the great tradition of architectural watercolorists, and has doggedly pursued time-honoured values of integrity, craftsmanship and painterly quality.
He is best known for his watercolours of Windsor Castle, depicting both the result of the fire of 1992 and the subsequent restoration. These paintings were commissioned by HM Queen Elizabeth II. He has travelled on tour with HRH The Prince of Wales as official artist. Much of his work has continued directly in the milieu of Oartist-traveller1, the role explored by watercolorists for 250 years. His oeuvre embraces projects evolving from travels throughout Europe and the USA, the Middle East and Egypt, China and Russia. His work in Britain has resulted in numerous commissions to paint aspects of the great country houses and more widely, fine architecture in general.
Alexander Creswell (b. 1957) is one of Britain1s most successful living artists. He has grown within the great tradition of architectural watercolorists, and has doggedly pursued time-honoured values of integrity, craftsmanship and painterly quality.
He is best known for his watercolours of Windsor Castle, depicting both the result of the fire of 1992 and the subsequent restoration. These paintings were commissioned by HM Queen Elizabeth II. He has travelled on tour with
HRH The Prince of Wales as official artist. Much of his work has continued directly in the milieu of Oartist-traveller1, the role explored by watercolorists for 250 years. His oeuvre embraces projects evolving from travels throughout Europe and the USA, the Middle East and Egypt, China and Russia. His work in Britain has resulted in numerous commissions to paint aspects of the great country houses and more widely, fine architecture in general.
Power and Glory: Paintings of the Sicilian Baroque
Mary Miers accompanied the artist on his most recent trip to Sicily. Her illustrated article appears in Country Life (November 1st issue):
POWER AND GLORY
Anybody familiar with Alexander Creswell1s capacity for getting under the skin of his subject will not be surprised to find that his forthcoming exhibition encompasses much more than a series of accomplished watercolours dedicated to the Sicilian Baroque. Since he first visited Sicily at the end of last year, Mr. Creswell has become absorbed by the island1s rough-edged psyche, its history of 3...past conquest and reconquest that over the centuries has blended the blood of three continents into the turbulent fluid that fills Sicilian veins². He has combed its restless streets and stark
volcanic interior, forging new friendships and tracking down buildings he describes as 3unfashionable but fun².
He is perhaps best known in Britain for his series of paintings recording the fire-ravaged rooms at Windsor Castle before and after restoration, and for his dramatic portrayal of ruins published in The Silent Houses of Britain (1991). But those who saw his exhibitions on St. Petersburg and Egypt will know that Mr. Creswell is also a seasoned traveller of the old school, for whom keeping a detailed travelogue and studying the language, history and culture of a country he explores are as instinctive as his skill as a draughtsman and watercolourist.
The title of this exhibition, Power and Glory, encapsulates the spirit of two centuries of Sicilian architecture, starting with the devastating earthquake of 1693. The buildings conceived in the wake of this disaster expressed a lighthearted freedom of decoration whose incongruous gaiety was intended, perhaps, to assuage the horror. This playful provincial style became more accomplished in the hands of Rome-educated architects like Giovanni Battista Vaccarini (1702-68), later absorbing a lively, Sicilian vigour. But its flowering in the 18th century came with the extraordinary
inventiveness of Rosario Gagliardi (1700-70), whose buildings in Noto, Modica and Ragusa Mr. Creswell has painted.
If Guido Lasso1s overpowering Quattro Canti in the crowded heart of Palermo is for Mr. Creswell 3the starting point; where it all begins², Piazza Duomo in Syracuse is 3the most civilised urban space in Europe². Here he has sat for many hours marvelling at an architectural setpiece that spans twenty-five centuries of Sicilian history. The bold swagger of Andrea Palma1s Duomo facade, and the subtle elegance of Luciano Ali1s Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco have inspired some of his most striking paintings. The miniature palazzi lining a network of narrow thoroughfares at the heart of ancient Ortygia have provided another rich source of inspiration, with their ornate carving, oversailing cornices and bulbous balconies supported on grotesque and fanciful brackets.
Mr. Creswell relishes the 'sheer fun and craziness' of these buildings, believing that serious classicists have missed the point in dismissing them as barbarous and fantastical. He is incredulous that so few publications in English have devoted time to the Sicilian Baroque, stressing the 'world class' significance of buildings like San Giorgio in Modica, whose architect, Gagliardi, hardly travelled beyond Sicily. He has returned from each trip brimming with new material for a new book, which will demonstrate how much more there is to Sicilian architecture than ancient Classical ruins.
As well as recording many of the great 18th churches, palazzi, and villas such as Villa Palagonia in Palermo, Mr. Creswell has roamed the little known hill towns of the south, seeking out 3buildings you want to wrap up and take home in your pocket². He loves the ebullience of Sicily1s unsung artisan Baroque, where even the humblest building has something to celebrate. It is difficult not to be impressed by the formidable power of the church in this climate of extreme wealth and poverty: San Sebastiano, with its cluster of swashbuckling figures over its portico, is just one of nine churches in the remote outpost of Ferla, each with its florid belfry facade rising proud into the sky like an elaborate stage set.
The freedom and virtuosity of such buildings is reflected in the energy of Mr. Creswell1s style, which favours unusual angles and viewpoints, colliding lines and truncated elevations. It is the sculptural detail that most excites him, and his paintings are all about the effect of light in describing it. Often he will return patiently several times a day to catch a fleeting shaft of sunlight lifting a stone cornice so that it appears to float, or to make colour notes on the ethereal effects of reflected light bouncing off one stone surface onto another . What matters most are the sensuous qualities of this strong, southern light, the way it can model a building into life, and leave its stone still warm at dusk. Mr. Creswell understands what it is that makes these buildings sing, and through his paintings has reached to the very soul of Sicily1s warm-blooded Baroque.
Creswell first captured the public imagination in 1991 with the publication of his book, 'The Silent Houses of Britain', a study of abandoned country houses with paintings described as "..as evocative as Turner1s peerless watercolours of Petworth" (Financial Times). He also wrote and presented a television documentary on the subject.
With his reverence for tradition, its evolution is a little surprising. Armed with an education in history of art and architecture from school, Creswell sought technical training at art college but was frustrated by a trend which eschewed the rigours of form, composition, perspective and colour theory. The pursuit of those values was a lonely quest and Creswell is largely self-taught. The fruit of his ability is entirely modern. His work relies on a skeleton of traditional values which are fleshed out with his own vision, illuminated by a strong reverence for light.
His paintings depict often familiar subjects presented in a manner unique to his eye. He uses light and the atmosphere of architecture to create a spirit of place which is akin to the character of a subject brought out by successful portrait painters. Creswell1s watercolours are portraits of places which augment the viewer1s experience of the world which surrounds us every day.
Dr. Gregory Hedberg (Director of European Art at Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York) writes:
"While I think that New York City - thanks in large part to the New York Academy of Art founded in 1982 by Andy Warhol and others - is far ahead of London and Paris with respect to the revival of traditional drawing, painting and sculpture skills, when it comes to watercolors - London is way ahead of New York due in large part to the work of Alexander Creswell, whom I consider to be the finest watercolorist alive today.²
3As the increasingly earth-bound 21st century loosens its moorings from the other-worldly Modernist 20th century and sails off in a new direction, one can observe tradition artistic skills being revived by a new generation of young artists all over the world. In a few decades from now, at the rate we are going, we will no longer stand in abject awe at the skill of artists like Raphael, Rubens, or Sargent, as we will have dozens of artists who can rival their skills.²
BIOGRAPHY
Alexander Creswell (b. 1957) is one of Britain1s most successful living artists. He has grown within the great tradition of architectural watercolorists, and has doggedly pursued time-honoured values of integrity, craftsmanship and painterly quality.
He is best known for his watercolours of Windsor Castle, depicting both the result of the fire of 1992 and the subsequent restoration. These paintings were commissioned by HM Queen Elizabeth II. He has travelled on tour with HRH The Prince of Wales as official artist. Much of his work has continued directly in the milieu of Oartist-traveller1, the role explored by watercolorists for 250 years. His oeuvre embraces projects evolving from travels throughout Europe and the USA, the Middle East and Egypt, China and Russia. His work in Britain has resulted in numerous commissions to paint aspects of the great country houses and more widely, fine architecture in general.
