The arrival of summer has long provided artists with an opportunity to observe the changing character of the landscape. Longer days, shifting light and the growth of gardens and countryside have inspired painters to work directly from nature, capturing the effects of atmosphere, colour and season within the open air. The practice of en plein air painting, closely associated with the Impressionist tradition, continues to shape the way artists respond to the natural world.
The Summer Collection brings together a selection of paintings and sculpture that reflect this enduring dialogue between artist and landscape. French and British landscapes appear alongside studies of birds and animals in bronze, watercolour and oil, each work observing the forms and colours presented by the natural environment. Many of the artists represented share an interest in painting directly from life, responding to the fleeting effects of light, weather and movement.