This mid-19th-century oil painting by British artist Frederick Foot (1830-1908) depicts a river view with figures, stones and dog. Foot was an accomplished landscape painter working predominantly in the South-West of England.Born in Ashburton, Devon, Foot was raised among the picturesque environs of Dartmoor - where the River Dart winds through verdant hills and dashes over waterfalls. It’s an area steeped in history and Ashburton itself dates to the Middle Ages, a stimulating environment for a young impressionable mind. Foot’s father, Peter Foot, worked as a ‘cordwainer’, a maker of shoes - and young Frederick was probably trained in the family business. However, rather than pursue this as a career, he opted, instead, for creative pursuits.Apparently self-taught, he was instructed by nature herself. Sketchbook in hand, he studied the nuances of the seasons across multifaceted Dartmoor topography. Like Constable before him, it’s clear that he adored the countryside, often retur...