This late 19th-century oil painting by English artist Robert Gallon (1845-1925) depicts a tranquil evening view of The Norfolk Broads. One of those rare evenings when the landscape is briefly transformed by light. There''s plenty of interest in this exquisite piece. A sailing barge rests beside a waterside cottage while two figures pause in conversation near a horse-drawn cart. Beyond them, the river widens into the distance beneath a sky glowing with warm pinks, golds and soft greys, each reflected across the still water below. It''s a composition that rewards slow looking. A moored sailing barge, distant figures working across the water, grazing horses, and the welcoming riverside cottage each contribute to a living landscape.Although rich in these carefully observed details, the painting''s true subject is the light itself. Gallon understood the fleeting quality of evening, when the last warmth of the day settles over trees, rooftops and water before quietly disappearing...