Oil on canvas, 25 by 31 ins (64 by 79 cm)

In the years following his graduation from the Royal College of Art, Pitchforth painted a number of outstanding landscapes of the Pennines and West Yorkshire, which, like the present work are highly individual depictions of the countryside he loved from his childhood and student days. His work in oil at this date shows the influence of Cezanne and displays the sense of structure and composition that is comparable to his near contemporary, Eric Ravilious. In the years following the war Pitchforth almost completely abandoned oil painting in favour of a looser style of watercolour painting for which he is probably best known. His early work from the 1920s and 1930s arguably remains his best though, supporting the view of his Royal College of Art principal that Pitchforth was amongst the most gifted students in his generation.

Signed l.r.: Pitchforth

Watercolour