Plough Time
Thomas Heath Robinson

This is one of several paintings, executed towards the end of his life, where one senses that Heath Robinson was working for his own delight and entertainment. Though divorced from the constraints of commercial illustrations, he had learned lessons from his long and successful career. The colour is bold and resonant and he takes full advantage of the potential for using complementaries: in this picture, the primary red of the boy's scarf sings out against the green of the grass and the bright orange and blue of the distant hillside creates a vivid impression of sun and scudding shadow. At the same time, the impact of Robinson's early black and white work remains vital: this is a piece which depends on bold gesture and strong silhouette.

There is also a wonderful pleasure in the ridiculous. Running well out of reach of the boy's spade is a tiny mouse - once we spotted this, the whole flavour of the painting became even more piquant.

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