This canal study by Josephine Muntz Adams conveys the hushed atmosphere of a winter’s day. Bare trees stretch along the water’s edge, their reflections dissolving into soft greys and browns, while a moored boat and a solitary passer-by suggest a quiet human presence.
The setting remains uncertain. It has been catalogued at different times as River Scene, possibly Holland and has also been linked with Josephine’s Venetian works. Another possibility is Polperro in Cornwall, where she painted extensively, later exhibiting several Cornish views in her 1943 retrospective at the Athenaeum Gallery.
Whatever the location, the study highlights Josephine’s gift for turning an unassuming scene into something lyrical and enduring.
Image courtesy of Leonard Joel.
